The Kill
by Rose Hunter
Summary: Come, break me down. Bury me, bury me! I am finished with you. Look in my eyes. You're killing me, killing me! All I wanted was you...
1. Tributes

**District One**

Monroe Willems:

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Appearance: Monroe has curly golden-blonde hair that reaches halfway down between her shoulder and elbows, wide dark blue eyes that seem to be black sometimes with long eyelashes framing them, and porcelain skin (she never blushes). She stands at a small height of 5"1 and weighs 100 pounsds, so she is very small and thin.

Realtionships: ~Isabel Willems: Isabel is 40 years old with pixie-cut dirty blonde hair, tanned skin, and narrow blue eyes. Isabel is Monroe's mother, though she doesn't really act like it. She dislikes her daughter and fells that Monroe will never be pretty, smart, or strong enough to be worth anybody's attention. She doesn't pay much attention to Monroe at all by telling her son anything she wants to tell Monroe. She's never spoken directly to her daughter. ~Samuel Willems: Samuel is 17 with golden-blonde hair, porcelain skin and narrow blue eyes. Samuel is Monroe's older brother and has been brainwashed by Isabel that Monroe is not worth much, and therefore dislikes and mostly shuns his younger sister. Isabel speaks to Monroe through Samuel, however, by telling him to tell Monroe this, tell her that and so forth. ~Darvis Willems: Monroe's father who bolted the moment he heard Isabel was pregnant the second time.

Biography: Monroe has always been a very lonely girl because she has never been shown any real form of love or care. She has been shunned and ignored by her family for all her life and her cold attitude doesn't buy her any friends. Her mother always speaks to her through her brother to say that she isn't worth love, she isn't worth anything.

Personality: She is cold and quiet. After all the years of being told she's useless, she believes it herself. When talked to in a kind way, she'll someimes respond back kindly. Nobody really talks to her in school. Monroe really would like to be nice but she doesn't really see any reason to be nice to people that don't seem to care at all for her.

Quirks/habits: She has a habit of biting the inside of her cheek and her biggest quirk is how she belittles and compares herself.

Issues/problems/fears: She doesn't really get what love is since she's never been shown it and has little confidence. Since Monroe has been so far away from love so long, she's sort of grown a phobia of it.

Reaping outfit: A button-up pure white shirt tucked into a ruffled black skirt that reaches her knees. Her hair is down.

Volunteer: Naw, she was reaped.

Interview outfit: I'll send it to you

Interview angle: Mysterious, even though she doesn't do it very well.

Games Strategy: Just hide for as long as you can and don't seek. Die when you do; nobody really minds.

Alliance: the minimum is one other person and the max is two

Romance: Sure

Career: nah

Token: a black ribbon that she ties around her wrist as a bracelet

Strengths: She's very fast, can climb well, and she's clever

Weaknesses: She isn't very good at socializing, isn't very strong, and doesn't believe she can do much

Weapon of Choice: knife

Oak Harper

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Appearance: Oak is a fairly tall boy, with thick dark hair and blue green eyes. His skin is by no means porcelain white but generally doesn't tan.

Relationships: His mother and younger sister, Tulip

Biography: Oak's father walked out on their family when he was just 11 years old, something that he holds great resentment for. Without his father there to provide for them, he applied for tessarae as many times as he possibly could for his first reaping, and was convinced he'd be reaped, that the odds were not in his favour. So oak trained and trained his little heart out in preparation for the games, only to find he wasn't reaped, that despite his numerous entries his name hadn't been called up, and even if it had some other boy would have volunteered anyway. Strangely he found himself disappointed, having taken a fancy to the idea of saving his family from the poverty they currently were steeped in and moving them to the victors village if he had in turn won. So he decides to train every year from then onwards, to volunteer when he thinks he's prepared enough to win The Hunger Games.

Personality: Like all 'Careers' Oak has high confidence in himself and determination. He's incredibly protective of those he loves, and unlike most careers, is kind-hearted and sympathetic, something people have often told him will be his downfall in the games. He however believes that his love for his family and need to get back to them will override these feelings if they threaten to become a weakness for him in the games. He's charming, but only through humour and flirtation.

Quirks/habits: bites the skin inside his mouth when nervous, which makes his face scrunch up.

Issues/problems/fears: Oak's terrified that he will die and leave his mother and 12 year old sister without anyone to care for them. He's distrustful of older men as they often remind him of his father, which could be an issue in regards to co-operating with his mentor. He's also claustrophobic and can't stand being kept in small enclosed spaces.

Reaping Outfit: white cotton shirt, patched up black slacks, scuffed shoes.

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): yes, because he wants to provide a better life for his mother and sister.

Interview outfit (optional): some kind of lime green suit, I think that would be funny.

Interview angle: He's trained long and hard for these games, and that he has people waiting at home for him that he'd never disappoint, that he has to win for.

Games strategy: join the career pack at all costs, and if that fails try to at least form an alliance with one other tribute, because he feels to win. Alway's keep close to water, keep sleep to a minimum and trust no one.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): careers if possible

Romance (yes or no): yeah, if you can find one for him, could be interesting

Career (yes or no): yes

Token: a small carved woollen dog, about the size of a matchbox, a gift his sister gives to him after he is reaped.

Anything else: weapon wise he favours knives

**District Two**

Claudia Knight

Gender: Female

Age: 18

Appearance: Long, wavy dark brown hair that reaches halfway down to her waste. She has cuts and scars about her body from training, as well as a very noticeable one near the bottom of her left eye that she claims she got in a heated argument. Her gaze is a particularly stunning green that seems to freeze anyone that stares into it, simply because it's so powerful.

Relationships: She has few friends at home, no siblings, and barely talks to her strict parents, but she really hates them on the inside. She's a loner, to say the least.

Biography: Claudia was forced to train and become a career for her district, but she never truly wanted to. However, she had no choice and did not want to argue with her harsh parents, so she took up training. She's become quite skilled, but never did she fully embrace the role she had. She viewed it as a drag and always dreaded her upcoming fate, but decided to go along with it anyways. After all, what could she do?

Personality: Claudia is dark and silent. She doesn't interact with anyone and acts harsh on the outside when she really has to. However, on the inside, she wishes that she could leave and not volunteer for The Hunger Games, and that she could make some friends. She hates people from her district and feels they are bloodthirsty, and she longs to be able to make friends with some normal people from outside districts. She keeps all emotions to herself, though, and pretends to be harsh and bloodthirsty. She just really wants to go home is all.

Quirks/habits: She has a habit of mumbling things under her breath that no one can hear, and she often seems to tug at her hair a lot.

Issues/problems/fears: She truly doesn't want to go to The Hunger Games and has lately found it a bit harder to hold in her emotions. When she's dealing with someone she deems annoying, she will have a hard time not lashing out at them, and often when she does, she acts hasty and too violently. She has a hard time communicating her feelings with people, and also doesn't have a very good knowledge of plants, etc. She hates to admit it, but the one thing that can send her running would have to be Tracker Jackers or any other type of lethal bug.

Reaping Outfit: A very stunning white dress.

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): Yes, because she is a career and her parents want her to. She really doesn't and is reluctant, but she figures she can just get it over with so that she can go home.

Interview outfit (optional): (Your call, I'm horrible at designing clothing).

Interview angle: Act dark and lethal. Attract sponsors with the deadly angle and get them to think that she could win, so that they should bet on her and assist her. Also in order to scare the other tributes in the arena.

Games strategy: Team up with the careers and kill as many as she can. When the numbers are too low, run away from the alliance with supplies when no one is looking and kill them when possible, probably from a distance.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): She would like to stick with the career group, but eventually run off. In that case, she will only ally with a group of two or fewer people, but she would prefer to be with just one that she can trust.

Romance (yes or no): Sure, but probably not with another Career. Probably a boy from a different district.

Career (yes or no): Yes

Token: Golden chain necklace with her name engraved on a slate.

Anything else: She's very good with machetes, but in terms of long-ranged weapons, she can work with throwing knives. She is no good with the bow and arrow, however.

Kyler Ponticello

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Appearance: he has smooth olive skin, narrow celery-green eyes, and spiky black hair. He is very tall at about 6"4 and pretty fit.

Relationships: He murdered both of his parents and his older sister. He's a loner.

Biography: When Kyler was seven, he was playing with his nine-year-old sister, Cloe. Then the Hunger Games came on and he was fascinated by how the tributes killed each other. Cloe called him a freak for not finding it disturbing and Kyler got very angry and pinned her to the wall and killed her by cutting her neck with a knife. His parents walked in and he killed them also. He told everyone that he came home from a walk to find all of his family dead. He doesn't feel guilty at all.

Personality: He is insane. He acts jubilant and happy but as you get to know him better, he's sadistic. The thing that he loves most in life is killing.

Quirks/Habits: He's crazy, that's probably a quirk xD He has a habit of tapping his fingers on his legs

Issues/Problems/Fears: He's mentally challenged, really really mentally challenged. He doesn't really fear anything.

Reaping Outfit: a dark grey dress shirt with black pants

Volunteer: Yes, he volunteered for some random person because he wanted to be able to kill more people

Interview Angle: yeah... I'll send it to ye... later on...

Interview Angle: friendly

Games Strategy: Kill everybody.

Alliance: He'll be in the Careers, so however many is in there

Romance: No... he isn't really a romance kinda guy...

Career: Yes

Token: the blood-stained necklace of his sister (whoa! that sounds weird)

Strengths: He has experience in killing people, he's likeable (when he isn't being a psycho) and is very strong

Weaknesses: He's INSANE, doesn't look at the big picture, and doesn't feel guilty about anything he does

Weapon of Choice: a spear

**District Three**

Lark Mila

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Appearance: chestnut brown hair, slightly to big grey eyes, slightly pale sickly skin, shorter 5'4, underfed. scar on her cheek. she would be described as plain.

Relationships: mother-Robin Mila(41)- nice and motherly but not around much because she has to work overtime to make ends meet. father-Jay Mila(42)-stern and quiet, means well but never wanted to be a dad and hasn't quite figured it out. brothers- Sterling Mila(17)-nice and loving, carefree and outgoing. Hawk Mila(19)-serious and stern, copy of his father but protective. sisters-Dove(11)-sweet and self-centered, still thinks the world revolves around her but very sweet. Raven Mila(12)-bookworm, very social and outgoing but cocky and arrogant. friend- Olavia Turnson(15)-a good listener and caring, very sweet but very naive.

Biography:pretty normal life till now. at the age of 5, she fell and her cheek got cut on a rusty nail that was sticking out of the wall. it got infected and she was very sick but lived. she now has a scar on her right cheek.

Personality: artsy and creative, blunt and serious, not very diplomatic or sympathetic, friendly enough but loves nature more then people, she can be sweet but only to family. she is very quiet in big groups but very talkative one-on-one. a bit naive. loves to draw. can be harsh and mean but means well.

Quirks/habits: bits her lower left lip when she is nervous and fiddles with her hands. she can only sleep when she is calm and she sings to keep calm. she spends most of her time drawing nature because she is much better at drawing that then people.

Issues/problems/fears: hates water because she can't swim, doesn't like big spaces, scared of heights, has issues sleeping, gets very nervous and scared if lots of people are looking at her.

Reaping Outfit: pale knee length purple sleeveless dress that has pockets.

Interview angle: sweet and smart

Games strategy: hide

Alliance (minimum and maximum):mini-2 maxi-4

Romance (yes or no):maybe, whatever you want.

Career (yes or no):no

Token: charm bracelet with a L, a bird, a pencil and a willow tree.

Anything else:she doesn't know how to use any weapon but learns to use a slingshot well enough during training. because she spends lots of time outside in nature, she knows some things about plants but not much. she is a fast runner but not very stealthy. is good at hiding. doesn't have many survival skills.

Bo Wester

Gender: Male

Age: 16

Appearance: Tall and muscular, with tan skin, short black hair, and brown eyes. Basically, he looks like Taylor Laughtner.

Relationships: His mother is named Eda, his father is named Fort, his dog is named Cooper and he has 4 brothers and 3 sisters. Feel free to make up the names for them.

Biography: Growing up in a run-down shack, Bo didn't have much money as a kid. He would usually steal things and get into trouble constantly. For whatever reason, his parents had a Southern accent so he got one, too. His father thought that all the people in the district were crazy so he made it a rule that all the children had to stay in their house and away from all of the other District Three folks except on reaping day. His father was an alcoholic and abused Bo's mother and his siblings as well as him. Eventually his father died from drinking to much alcohol. They raised chickens and grew plants in their backyard to support themselves. His father also used to make Moonshine, a type of homemande alcoholic drink, and sell it on the black market.

Personality: rednecky, sarcastic, caring, sweet, strong, determined, well-mannered

Quirks/habits: Doesn't like to wear a shirt, has a southern accent, is extremely nice to girls and does things like holding doors open for them and whatnot

Issues/problems/fears: He isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and by that I mean he can be plain out dumb. He doesn't really know much about technology or anything, despite the fact that he comes from Three. He fears spiders and large rodents.

Reaping Outfit: A pair of ripped and worn out jeans, a pair of old sneakers, and a grass-stained T-shirt. His mother told him that he should get dressed up.

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): No, he was reaped

Interview outfit (optional): a pair of overals, cowboy boots and a straw hat. He told his stylist that he doesn't like to wear a shirt so he isn't.

Interview angle: Sweet and farmboy-ish

Games strategy: Umm... He doesn't really have one.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): *shrugs* whatever. He kind of goes with the flow.

Romance (yes or no): Sure

Career (yes or no): NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Token: a bottle cap

Strenghts: Brute strength, getting people to like him, hand-to-hand combat

Weaknesses: Being smart, fighting girls, strategy, speed

Weapon(s) of choice: crossbow, his fists

**District Four**

Clay Forrest

Gender: Male

Age: 18

Appearance: He's very tall and slim. He's muscular from swimming. He has green eyes and hair that's a deep brown which he keeps pretty short for convenience. He's pretty good looking, but not anything special. He's also pretty tan from being outside all of the time, with light freckles from the sun.

Relationships: He has a girlfriend named Alanna David who's 17 years old. She has light blonde hair, tan skin, and sea-green eyes, framed by long lashes. She's very pretty and means everything to Clay.

Biography: Clay's dad died when he was fifteen. He went out on a fishing trip, a huge storm hit and the boat was never seen again, so Clay's mother had to raise the four children, which include Clay, his older brother Tye, his younger brother Luka, and his younger sister Mariana, Mari for short. Clay and Tye worked extra hours at the docks catching and loading fish to support their family, while his mother Auriella stayed at home with the younger kids. Clay never trained for the Games, but he has experience with a trident and knives.

Personality: He's very tough and brave, but even he's terrified of the Games. He loves his family a lot, but the ocean is his home no matter how much he loves his mother. He's pretty unfriendly around people at his school, but he's one of the most caring people you'll meet when he's around Alanna or his younger siblings.

Quirks/habits: He absolutely hates wearing shoes, as he's so used to being barefoot on the beach.

Issues/problems/fears: He has a big fear of storms because a storm took his father away from him. He also fears the Games, but he has to get over that one pretty quick.

Reaping Outfit: A light blue button-up shirt, khaki shorts, and brown sandals. He wears his brown leather bracelet that belonged to his father.

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): No

Interview outfit (optional): A dark blue suit with a sea green shirt underneath. (You can change this)

Interview angle: Tough and determined. He talks about his family at home to make the crowd sympathetic.

Games strategy: Kill or be killed. Join the careers and let them do all of the non-career killing, but when it gets down to a few players, leave in the middle of the night to avoid a fight, and avoid all tributes until he absolutely has to face them.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): Careers, and if not the careers, then maybe someone he sympathizes for.

Romance (yes or no): No (he's in love with Alanna)

Career (yes or no): Yes

Token: The leather bracelet from his father.

Stella Harper

Gender: female

Age: 17

Appearance: Stella has very long, very straight red hair. She's slightly tanned from the sun, with light freckles dotting her cheeks. She has light blue eyes. Normally she's plain looking, as she has no desire into making herself attractive, but she's really pretty when she tries.

Relationships: Her twin brother, who's also her best friend. His name is Wade.

Biography: Stella has been training for the games since she was twelve. They didn't enter the academy, but their father trained the twins himself, teaching them weapons secretly, as no one is supposed to have a weapon outside of the academy. She's been trained not to trust people, not to love peope, and not to befriend them, that's why the only friend she has is her brother, Wade. They push each other to do their best. Their mother just watches wearily from the distance, taking care of their youngest son Mikah.

Personality: She passes herself off as emotionless and brutal, but she secretly is nothing like that. Her other side loves to sing, and she sometimes catches herself singing while bathing or practicing, but quickly stops herself. She pushes that side down and lets her agressive side play, because that's what her dad wants her to do. She's very rude and mean to the other tributes, but keeps silent around the careers, trying to earn their trust.

Quirks/habits: Singing. (she does it subconsciously and then gets mad at herself)

Issues/problems/fears: She secretly fears death.

Reaping Outfit: A yellow dress that goes to the center of her knee. She wears a grey jacket over it because the dress is strapless.

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): Yes, because that's what her father wants her to do.

Interview outfit (optional): Anything yellow, that's what looks best on her.

Interview angle: Strong and confident.

Games strategy: Be with the careers until numbers dwindle, then really show off her skills by challenging the remainding ones.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): Careers

Romance (yes or no): No, she doesn't have the time for that.

Career (yes or no): Yes

Token: a neclace with a silver charm shaped like a dolphin.

Anything else: Nope!

**District Five**

Azalea "Pixie" Foxglove

Gender: Female

Age: 13, turns 14 the day of the interviews.

Appearance: She has long, glossy, golden-blonde hair falling to her mid-back in big, loose curls. She has left straightened side bangs, framing her rounded off heart-shaped face. Her big, wide, round eyes are a blue-green, with flecks of honey, framed by long, golden lashes. She has a deeply arched, slightly rounded and hooked nose, with a dot on the tip, with small and prominent, yet full, naturally baby pink lips and lightly gold-ish tanned skin. Freckles dot across the bridge of her nose and her upper high-cheek bone area. Her ears are slightly pointed at the tip, giving her an elf-ish look. She stands at 5' 2" 108lbs. with slightly widened hips and thick thighs, wearing only a B-cup, with a very slight hour-glass shape. Her stature and appearance earns her the nickname "Pixie".

Relationships: -Mother, Cassia, aged 32, she is mentally crazy. OCD, ADHD, And schizophrenia. -Father, Wren, aged 36, he is your typical grown male. -Baby brother, Isaac, stillborn.

Biography: She lived a pretty uneventful life. Her baby brother was stillborn, however, three years ago. Her mother has outbursts occasionally, and she has to try and help because her father works. She is pretty quiet, and most don't approach her, resulting in her having few acquaintances even. No real friends.

Personality: Azalea wouldn't intentionally hurt a fly. She is quiet and kind, though she rarely speaks unless spoken to. She is as sweet as can be, and very loyal to any friends she may make, to the point of risking her life for them. However, she is extremely insecure. She has little to no self-esteem, and is always worried about being judged. She will fake a laugh, or force a smile, just to appear to be okay, or to make someone feel better. She is too hard on herself at most times, and rarely lets herself enjoy life. She is always pushing herself harder and further, never thinking herself to be good enough. She is smart, but it doesn't show, because she can be a real ditz. She does some of the stupidest things, and she normally looks at the negatives about herself when she does those things, though laughing it off on the outside to make it look like a joke. She is hot-headed, despite these things, though. If you set her off bad enough, she will yell and her voice octave will lower. She can hold a grudge, and can actually be an extremely jealous and spiteful person at times, though she tries her hardest not to be.

Quirks/habits: She bites her nails when she is nervous, and she occasionally stutters. She fidgets and twitches often when uncomfortable, such as in an awkward silence.

Issues/problems/fears: She has a fear of the following: Fire, Deep water, Snakes, Bugs, and birds. She actually has asthma, too.

Reaping Outfit: A pure white summer dress falling in two layers to her knees, the second layer being two inches shorter, with white braided flip-flops. Her hair is up in a white silk ribbon, with a trimmed white rose clipped into her hair holding back her bangs from her face. She has a light blush on. She is simplistic in her clothing.

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): No. Reaped.

Interview outfit (optional): A shimmery deep emerald green dress, with a poofy skirt falling three inches above her knees, with a glossy mint green ribbon tied below her breasts at the back, along with one in her hair, as a head-band, tied to the side in a childish bow. She wears sparkly green flats, and emerald earrings. Her eye make-up is faint, but makes her eyes bigger and more child-like, and they do a slight blush to make her look like a baby-doll, along with a thin layer of light red tinted lip-gloss. Interview angle: Sweet and innocent.

Games strategy: Kill no one unless defending yourself, as she doesn't expect to make any friends. RUN from the Cornucopia, no exceptions. Try to stay alive, and if someone allies with you, defend them. Give your life for them if need be.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): 1-4(Not including herself)

Romance (yes or no): Yes, please? *puppy dog face*

Career (yes or no): No, I doubt they would invite her into the group, so... If they did, she'd accept, though.

Token:

Strengths: -Close combat. Because of her small stature, she is quick and can easily maneuver herself around bigger, heavier tributes, easily dodging as well. -Speed. She can run very fast. -Climbing trees. She is very good and quick at it, but she has a fear of heights, and thus only scales them in dire emergencies. -Intellect. The Clock Arena in Catching Fire? That'd have been a piece of cake for Azalea.

Weaknesses: -Large amounts of blood. They make her faint. -Running for too long. She will wheeze and pant, possibly black out from loss of oxygen because of her asthma. -Aim. Okay, Rose, if she throws a rock, it flies SIDEWAYS. -Herbs/berries. Okay, say she sees a blueberry… "Oh, look, a blackberry! Wait…. No! It's one of those raspberries! Oh, oh, wait, no!... It's a nightlock! That's it! It's a nightlock!" -She cannot swim. She can float, kind of…. But she cannot swim or hold her breath for long. -She has a hard time killing anyone who is too kind to her, or that has alliance with her at any point or time. She feels she owes them at that point.

Weapon(s) of choice: She doesn't like weapons, but she grows to keep a machete with her at all times.

Jacob "Jake" Sorenson

Gender: Male

Age: 16

Appearance: He's about average high, with spiky brown hair and blue-green eyes. He's only lightly built in muscle, and has a scar across his cheek from swordfighting a cat-human mutt.

Relationships: You can make up the names yourself, but he has a very Viking-esque dad, complete with the beard and the horned hat even though real Vikings didn't wear horned hats, an overprotective mom, and an older sister that died tragically when fighting the snake mutt that attacks their district every night.

Bio: On the exact second he was born (midnight o'clock), his district was attacked by a giant snake mutt. Ever since then, it has attacked his district every night, usually taking at least one victim into its cave.

Personality: On the outside, he's a funny, outgoing person, but on the inside, he's distraught over his sister's death and blames himself, because he was late getting home when the snake monster, I mean mutt, attacked, and she gave her life to save him.

Quirks/habits: He makes jokes out of everything. He can find a way to make anything funny. He prefers puns.

Issues/problems/fears: He' distressed over his sister's death... and he's scared of the giant snake mutt that killed his sister.

Reaping outfit: He was running late for the Reaping because he lost track of time with his swordfighting practice... so armor.

Volunteer: Distressed over his sister, he decides life is no longer worth living. Instead of doing the logical thing and sacrificing himself to the snake mutt, he volunteers for the Hunger Games.

Allies: Don't really care, do what you want.

Relationships: I guess, if you feel like it.

Career: I would assume so

Token: Um... something that used to belong to his sister. Preferably made of metal, but all mangled up and irrecognizable because it was pulled off of her acid-corroded body (the snake mutt spews acid. And fire.)

Strenghts: He does a lot of swordfighting. He's pretty good at it.

Weaknesses: He's terrified of snakes, for obvious reasons.

Weapon of Choice: Sword! Duh!

**District Six**

Kestrel Keating

Gender: Male

Age: 18

Appearance: Tall and on the skinnier side but still fit, with skin that is slightly paler then his sister's was. He has her raven-feather black hair and piercing blue eyes that are such a light color they are almost white. His black hair goes down a little below his ears and curls up at the ends. His thin lips are almost always pulled in a flat line and he has perfected his sister's famous poker face.

Relationships:

~ Accius Keating, Kestrel's father. Tall and well-built with black, deep eyes. Although his father hated Peregrine, Kestrel is his father's pride and joy. When he gets reaped his father screams at the crowd of boys for someone to volunteer. No one does.

~Peregrine Keating, Kestrel's sister. Quite small, though still slightly muscular. She has olive skin and raven's feather black hair. Her face is tear-drop shaped, and she has a very small mouth. Her most interesting feature is her startling blue eyes. They are incredibly pale, almost on the verge of white, and are much more eerie than anything else. Peregrine had no emotions and was killed in last year's Hunger Games.

Biography: When he was little, Kestrel tried unbelievably hard to get his sister to love him, but she had no emotion. Over the years he became hateful of her. He got so much spite from her that he could not aim it at just one person, he aimed it at the rest of the world, as well. In school, Kestrel is ingenious and always gets the best grades in his class.

Personality: Kestrel is hateful towards almost everyone and everything. He is short-tempered and rude and will lash out, mentally and physically, at anyone he doesn't get along with or agree with.

Quirks/habits: Often finds himself tracing the outlines of things either with his hands or just his eyes. He happens to be left-handed and his favorite colors are black and white. Was a vegetarian before the Games but once he was reaped he understood that he'd have to eat meat to survive.

Issues/problems/fears: He is full of hate and anger and will turn it on anyone he can. He has convinced himself that it would be impossible for someone to love him, because he thinks there is something about him that people hate.

Reaping Outfit: A simple suit.

Interview outfit (optional): A white tuxedo that fits him perfectly. On the back is a drawing of angel wings down with thin black lines, the picture slightly resembling what girls would get a tattoo of on their backs now a days.

Interview angle: Appear smart, deadly and emotionless like his sister, even though he's not.

Games strategy: Survive long enough to hunt down the other tributes if they don't kill themselves off first.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): Up to three other people.

Romance (yes or no): Yes

Career (yes or no): No, he hates the careers.

Anything else: No

Marcella Entwistle

Gender: Female

Age: 16

Appearance: Marcella has soft blue colored eyes that contrast with her dark, slightly curly hair. She has clean, porcelain skin and manages to always look immaculate some how. She stands at about 5'5 and is average weight for someone of her age. She has a slight spray of freckles on her face, which she absolutely hates.

Relationships: ~Father- Alistair Entwistle- Alistair has taught Marcella that basically, she has to be the best, in every possible way. And that because of her position in society, she is automatically that much better than the people around her, which, Marcella now believes wholeheartedly. ~Mother- Emilia Entwistle- Emilia is a horrible person, to be blunt. She despises her daughter, believing that Marcella is nothing but a flaw in her plans to leach off Alistair's money. Emilia is cruel-hearted and uncaring towards Marcella, but has the rest of the world fooled that she is a beautiful angel. ~"Best Friend"- Adeline Elis. Age: 16. Adeline and Marcella appear to be the closest of friends, but they both know that is not the case. Adeline and Marcella are constantly in this competition with each other, trying to prove that they are better than the other, truth be told, they don't like each other at all, but the rest of the world believes that they do. ~Friend- Chandler Hills- Age: 17. Yet another person that Marcella has to pretend to care about. Chandler is self- centered and vain, which Marcella finds annoying, but to please her father, she has to play nice. ~Actual Friend- Clarisse Amare. Age: 13. The only person in Marcella's high class group of friends that doesn't drive her crazy. Clarisse is sweet and quiet, but can be very polite. The two of them are close and can confide in each other.

Biography: Born and raised in the high-class potation of the district, she seems to have it all. She could have anything that she desired and lived a luxurious lifestyle. As long as she behaved. Because of this, she is afraid of letting her true feelings slip out and she has basically been molded into her parent's ideal image of her. She never had to take the tesserae and she lived a good life, without the need for much labor.

Personality: Her parents desires have made her come across as being very well-mannered, but also stuck up, she has been made to believe that she is everything and that everyone is beneath her. She can be gossipy and is rather girly. However, this is jus the outer form of Marcella. Truth be told, she isn't happy with her life, she wants to experiment, try things, she feels confined in her life of good fortune. Marcella can be very naive and trusting due to heavy protection from the outside world. But behind her snobby exterior, lies a curious girl who just wants to live a little.

Quirks/habits: She sings when she's scared.

Issues/problems/fears: She is horribly afraid of cramped spaces and she is afraid of expressing her opinions because she feels as if she might be scolded, even when her parents aren't there.

Reaping Outfit: She wears a baby blue dress made of satin. The dress is strapless and reaches to a little above her knee. She has a diamond necklace on and her hair is curled a little and left to spill over her exposed shoulders.

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): No.

Interview outfit (optional): She wears a silk dark violet dress that goes to her knees and has a strapless bodice. The dress itself is composed of two layers, the first being the solid colored dress, the second being a sheer material used to give the dress texture. It has a thin gold belt on the waist. It is paired with a gold heels and her hair is pulled into an elaborate braided bun near the top of her head, allowing a curled piece of hair on either side to hang out.

Interview angle: Confident and beautiful, she shows them that she isn't afraid, and that she will be worth their sponsorship.

Games strategy: She tries mainly to lay low and survive. If she has to, she'll kill people and her haughty attitude might slightly get in the way of her decision-making capabilities.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): Minimum 1, maximum 3.

Romance (yes or no): Yes please… I love romance especially when death is involved… I mean… what?

Career (yes or no): No.

Token: Clarisse's plastic ring. One thing from the only person who really cares about her, it may be cheap, but it's a million times better than anything her father could give her.

Strenghts: Marcella is quick on her feet and is able to move very gracefully. She is a good actress and knows better than to trust her opponents.

Weaknesses: She is very used to not working and being handed everything, therefore, she has to become accustomed to this as well, she can't use weapons for hand to hand combat, and she isn't physically strong.

Weapon(s) of choice: Blow gun.

**District Seven**

Eden Gravera

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Appearance: She has long dark brown hair and brown eyes. She is very slim from the shortage of food and is average height. She likes to wear her hair down along with simple, inexpensive clothes.

Relationships: ~Avana Gravera: Her mother. ~Aster Gravera: Her father. ~Raina Gravera: Her sister, age 13. ~Harlan Blake: Her best friend (female) ~Patch Adams: Her other best friend (male)

Biography: She used to live in District 12, but then her family moved to 7 when she was 14 and her dad found a job there. Her mother is the District Seven librarian and her father works at a confectionary store. She once had an older brother who ran away when they found out they were moving to 7.

Personality: Quite optimistic and fun-loving, but has a short temper and can be protective at times. She is especiall protective of her little sister and loves to read.

Quirks/habits: She often bites her lip and picks at her fingernails when she is nervous. She blushes easily and is slightly OCD.

Issues/problems/fears: Has a fear of fire. There was one in district 12 when she was younger. She and her father just barely escaped and she has scars from this on her left leg.

Reaping outfit:a yellow strapless sundress, halter neck along with white sandals and her done falling in waves.

Volunteer: Yes, her little sister was reaped and Eden decided she didn't want to lose another family member.

Interviwe outfit: A forest green, floor-length dress with a sweetheart neckline along with black heels. Her hair is done in ringlets and brought to one side.

Interview angle: be herself.

Games strategy: To pretend to be allies with the careers to avoid murder by them at the cornucopia.

Alliance: Yes, preferably with her district partner after she leaves the Careers.

Romance: Yes, preferably with district partner

Token: A rope bracelet from her sister.

Weapon(s) of choice: bow and arrows, axe

Weaknesses: To trusting

Demitri Jones

Age: 15

Appearance: tall: 6'1, weight: 236 (mostly muscle), mixed (mom white his dad african american) his hair is curly and dark brown but stays in shape. has big brown eyes, perfect cheek bones. he is very muscular from cutting down trees.

Relationships: his best friends are: Chandler (they're all the same age), Shadow, Levie, Ellie, Janetta, Shalene

Biography:

Personality: funny, can be serious, kind hearted, charismatic, flirty, sexy, irresistable, smart

Quirks/habits: tapping foot, popping knuckles

Issues/problems/fears: has nightmares every night of different things not just about the games

Reaping Outfit: black pants, gray long sleeved button down shirt, white tie and shoes

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): no

Interview outfit (optional): you can pick (:

Interview angle: win the crowd, funny, sexy, kind, funny

Games strategy: team up with some strong people get into the top 5 then pick one and leave the group and eventually have to kill that one and win

Alliance (minimum and maximum): i would really like the careers to accept him

Romance (yes or no): yes, and if he's accepted into the career group could he have one with Stella

Career (yes or no): no, but he's super strong so the careers probably want him. not to kill him but to seriously have him in the group

Token: a dog tag- on the front is a tree and the #7; on the back his full name (Dmitri Klark Jones) and his brithdate

Strenghts: cutting down stuff, lifting things, running, swimming, camoflauge, good with axes and swords, good at climbing high heights

Weaknesses: hunting, cant use knives, tridents, bow & arrows; cant build fires or forts

Weapon(s) of choice: axe or sword

**District Eight**

Jennifer Nicole Dulrek

Gender: Female

Age: 18 Appearance: long (past the shoulder), brown hair with blonde highlights; tall; chocolate brown eyes; cleft chin (look it up, buttercup); pierced ears; skin on the pale side; white teeth (not that that matters or anything) (:

Relationships: - No children or boyfriend/husband - David Dulrek- father; not very active in her life; is gone most of the time either at work or at a bar - Mother died in a tragic accident (depending on the district, you can choose how) - Tabitha- best friend; relatively long, black hair; somewhat short; darker skin

Biography: Her father has never been part of her life; she has a job teaching the non-career children; she has to provide for herself; she met Tabitha at the school she now works at; she's always lived in her home district

Personality: She's caring and kind toward her students; she's a little quirky; she constantly trips and makes fun of herself; she's not easily frightened or upset, and is ready for any challenge; no matter what, she always believes in her students and knows that they can do great things, and that's the kind of person she is; it's because of her that many of her students succeeded, but she refuses to take credit because they did all the work themselves; she sees the good in everyone.

Quirks/habits: Trips constantly; bites her lip when she gets upset (which isn't often)

Issues/problems/fears: no hand-to-hand combat experience or anything with weapons; no fears

Reaping Outfit: A modest red shirt with white buttons and full length black pants

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): Yes, for one of her student who's chosen

Interview outfit (optional): Be creative (:

Interview angle: be herself; she doesn't expect to come out of the games alive but she won't show it on the outside, she's not weak and she doesn't want to be portrayed that way; she doesn't want the games to change her caring personality on the inside.

Games strategy: Learn all she can about surviving at training, but doesn't want to kill anyone in the games; then just hideout and try to survive.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): Maybe one, but more than likely not because she doesn't particularly want to have to kill them, or have them kill her.

Romance (yes or no): maybe, if you really want.

Career (yes or no): no; goes off on her own unless you decide to have her in a romance.

Token: An ostrich named Carl that was given to her by one of her students. She carries Carl everywhere. Remember the picture of the amazingly cute ostrich we saw on Facebook? That smexy ostrich. His name from this day forth shall be carl; he has a mix of yellow and chocolate brown fur; a short, brown beak; a long neck; and caring brown eyes; he would do anything for his owner.

Strengths: Identifying poisonous plants, gathering food (roots, berries and stuff), medicine, anything that can be learned through books

Weaknesses: hunting, weaponry, hand-to-hand combat, snares, killing, anything that must be learned through experience

Weapon(s) of choice: Carries knives, but only for gathering, she won't hunt or kill anyone, but she won't act weak.

Sigmund "Siggy" Appeter

Gender: Male

Age: 12

Appearance: Small, with light brown hair and light brown eyes.

Relationships: ~Seraphina Apperter: 41, Siggy's mother. She is very cruel and strict and doesn't really listen to anything her son has to say. ~Harold Apperter: Deceased, his father died when he was very young.

Biography: Seraphine Apperter was never the nicest mom in the world. She never listened to what her son had to say, always telling him he needed to "make his own path in the world" and by that she meant do everything she tells him to and never actually make his own path at all. She says that he needs to bring his district glory and pride by winning the Hunger Games at only twelve years of age. So, he trained from the moment he turned three, preparing himself mentally and pysically for the Games. His father had been a Victor long ago and he believes that his mother will only truly love him if he becomes a Victor.

Personality: He is very patient and a great listener. He cares much more about what others want then what he wants because he thinks what everyone else wants is more important. He is always to hard on himself and to easy on everyone else. He isn't naive but if you have his trust then it is easy to take advantage of him.

Quirks/habits: He thinks out loud a lot and often spurts out random trivia facts about past Hunger Games, especially the one from last year (as in Quiet Like the Snow)

Issues/problems/fears: He is afraid of failure and rejection, and obviously has some serious family issues.

Reaping Outfit: A mini tux (awwww so cute!)

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): Yes, because his mother wants him to

Interview outfit: You can think of that.

Interview angle: Appear cute yet determined

Games strategy: Be in an alliance with someone who takes pity on you. Pretend to be helpless and weak so that you will last longer and only use your skills if necessary.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): One, two or possibly three.

Romance (yes or no): Unlikely, but possible.

Career (yes or no): No

Token: A picture of his house

Strenghts: Speed, swimming, climbing, hand-to-hand combat

Weaknesses: Brute strength, sacrificing things

Weapon(s) of choice: a pair of matching ornate knives

**District Nine**

Adela Mothwing

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Appearance: curly brown hair that falls in ringlets to her shoulders, Cerulean blue eyes. Round face, freckled. Medium height, very feminine figure.

Relationships: Her mother and father, twin brother Alo, younger brother Axle.

Biography: Adela's family are from the merchant class, her father running a particularly successful butchers shop. She as such has never had to enter her name for tessarae, and has in all lived as comfortable a life as one can in the districts. She's fairly popular with her peers, never lacking in the way of friends. Despite their personalities being remarkably different, Adela's brother Alo is her closest friend and near constant companion. Whenever she feels sad or lonely he's the first and only person she goes to, above all her friends who she finds at times to be rather bitchy, a personality trait she can't really stand. Having grown up a butcher's daughter, Adela is unfazed by the sight of blood.

Personality: Adela is above all else a kind person. She's always going out of her way to help others, a trait her brother doesn't quite understand. People often joke that she is 'the good twin'. She's perfectly prudish, never having had a boyfriend and struggles to make conversation with any male other than her brother without blushing, something that happens regularly as she's considered fairly attractive for her age and is propositioned often. She has a quirky sense of humour.

Quirks/habits: Adela has a lovely laugh and finds plenty even the most mundane of things funny. When she's nervous she knots her hands together over and over.

Issues/problems/fears: Her kind nature would be quite problematic in the arena. She's also terribly frightened of tracker jackers, having been stung severely by them once as a child.

Reaping Outfit: Grey button up dress that falls to her knees, dainty black buckle up shoes.

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): no, she cries the whole way up to that stage. When her brother Alo volunteers to take the male tributes place, she actually faints.

Interview outfit (optional): a blue dress that matches her eyes, that's quite short and almost a tad risqué, something she finds quite uncomfortable.

Interview angle: Plays to her sweetness, laughs often, jokes about how she's showing more skin in now than she ever has before.

Games strategy: Stay with Alo, if he dies, keep to herself and hide, keep track of water and try to get hold of some kind of weapon.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): her twin brother, Alo

Romance (yes or no): not fussed.

Career (yes or no): god no.

Token: a silver band, which matches Alo's.

Alo Mothwing

Gender: Male

Age: 15

Appearance: Alo has short curly hair and cerulean blue eyes. He's of medium height, has a slightly angular face and light freckling. considered to be rather attractive by the girls in the district.

Relationships: mother and father, twin sister Adela, younger brother axle

Biography: Having been brought up a butcher's son in the merchant class, Alo has lived as charmed a life as one can expect in the districts. He often finds himself feeling uncomfortable around poorer people, unsure how to behave or react around them. He has a small circle of close friends, the closest of which is of course his siter Adela. While Adela gets on perfectly well with their family, Alo's verging on rebellious tendencies and promiscuousness are frowned upon by his parents, and their relationship is currently rather strained.

Personality: while his twin sister Adela is well known as the 'good twin' Alo has earned himself as 'the bad twin'. While she is kind and fair to all those around her, he's generally rude and pokes fun at them. While she is prudish and has never had a boyfriend, Alo is incredibly flirtatious and has had a string of girlfriends, none of which he keeps for long. Despite their differences, Alo is also particularly reckless, a real lover of adrenaline rushes. He has a very sarcastic sense of humor.

Quirks/habits: often runs his hands through his hair as a calming mechanism, has a habit of reading every single sign or poster or word in general that his eyes come across.

Issues/problems/fears: losing his sister, the thought of it is almost beyond his comprehension. He also can't swim very well.

Reaping Outfit: blue shirt with grey pants.

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): Yes. When Alo hears his sisters name called he almost immediately falls into a state of panic, knowing she's far too sweet and kind to make it through the games alive. Not wanting to even think about a life that doesn't include her, Alo steps forward and volunteers before the male tributes name has even left the districts escorts lips. He figures he'll try his best to get Adela out alive or die in the arena with her.

Interview outfit (optional): a blue suit that compliments his sisters outfit.

Interview angle: plays the flirtatious bad boy role up, talks about his reasoning for volunteering.

Games strategy: keep Adela alive is priority one. Get hold of a weapon priority two. Don't seek out blood but make sure to bring it if other tributes come into contact with the two of them.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): his sister Adela

Romance (yes or no): not fussed.

Career (yes or no): no

Token: a silver band, matching his sisters.

**District Ten**

Linsey Eppa

Gender: Female

Age: 16

Appearance: average height, with shorthish light brown hair and dark brown eyes that are almost black. Her skin is naturally a slightly yellow-ish and she is slender and slightly curvy.

Relationships: ~Everest Eppa: Her twin brother, who has curly brown hair and light blue eyes. His skin is fair and he is slightly taller then she is. Unlike Linsey, he is very patient and has an intelligent aura about him.

Biography: Everest and Linsey have been orphans for as long as they can remember. When they were little they'd roam the streets stealing from the merchants and other poor people in their district. Linsey would often hunt small animals that wondered into the district and took great joy in killing them. When she was old enough she signed up for a ton of tesserae, causing her name to be more likely picked.

Personality: Lindsey is a lying back-stabbing sort of person. She is cruel, sadistic actually, and loves to see things in pain, mostly people. She hates almost everyone, although she acts sweet and gentle and often sings songs and plays games with the younger kids in her district. however, she is cold and heartless on the outside and loves to hurt things.

Quirks/habits: She often tortures the animals she hunts in the streets with a simple kitchen knife she stole from the butcher's shop in her district and likes to lick the blood off the blade.

Issues/problems/fears: She is sadistic and easily becomes obsessed with things. Is ADHD and ADD. She is completely insane and because of this she has no true fears.

Reaping Outfit: A black T-shirt with a few blood stains, a puffy black and red skirt that reaches slightly above her knees, red fishnet arm-thingies and red fishnets for her legs as well. Her hair is put up into two ponytails and she wears a pair ofoversized sneakers.

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): No, but she was happy to be reaped

Interview angle: Appear funny and sweet, and not at all demonic or sadistic like she really is.

Games strategy: Team up with the Careers if she can and kill everyone as quickly as possible.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): With the careers or maybe one other crazy tribute if there is one.

Romance (yes or no): Not likely, but sure

Career (yes or no): If possible

Token: A chain with a red gem on it that her brother gave her.

Strenghts: Killing things, she is surprisingly strong, climbing

Weaknesses: Swimming, not killing things, not being creepy

Weapon(s) of choice: knives, battle axe, war hammer

Aries Ovis

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Appearance: Aries stands tall and muscular. He has darker skin due to a lot of sun exposure in his district and his hands are worn and calloused. He has dark and unruly hair managing to fall in his eyes and all over his face. His eyes are a dark green, in fact they often don't appear green and he won't let you look him in the eye. He has a stoic expression on his face and paired with his size, Aries usually comes off as intimidating, this causing less people to want to get to know him.

Relationships: ~Father: Tether Ovis. Tether is a formidable man and works closely with the Capitol. He is know across the district for his success and wealth, especially in a place teeming with poverty. The Ovis name is a well-known one and Aries despises that. Tether is a very stuck-up man, as comes with the money. He believes that the cure for happiness is material and frowns upon those who don't follow his logic. He can be controlling and wanted his only son to follow in his footsteps, that's the reason Aries left in the first place. The thing that Aries doesn't know is that his father misses him, he knows that he screwed up, but it's too late to make it better. ~Mother: Belle Ovis. Aries liked to think that she was dead inside. Belle would never intervene in the arguments between her son and husband. She would just slink away and try and be perfect. She was nothing but a doll and never would be anything but a doll. She was controlled by her husband, and Aries absolutely did not want that same thing to happen to him. ~Friend: Coco. Age: 13. Nobody really knows her real name, and it is assumed she doesn't have one, to the world, she is unknown and uncared for her. Coco was a tiny infant when she was sent to live on the streets, barely alive and not even registered as a citizen yet. Random people would often take her in and she grew up uneducated on the streets of district 10. By the time she was 5, she could fend for herself, and concentrated a lot on surviving. People often say what horrible parents she must have had, people who would leave there own daughter on the streets. However, Coco fails to see it like that, because she was never registered as a citizen, she isn't eligible fir the hunger games. In a way, her parents saved her. Coco can move quietly and quickly, she could watch you for hours without you knowing. She is a sweet and very observant girl. She remains particularly innocent despite the many impurities in her life. She steals to survive, she does what is needed. Coco is slightly mishevious and uncertain around new people. She is mature for her age. Coco has big brown eyes and fair skin. Her hair is dark brown and often ratty. She is tall and thin and walks around with no shoes on. She and Aries met soon after he had ran away. Coco taught him how to make due with what was there and the two became close rather quickly, despite the fact that Aries became closed off from everyone else. She wouldn't be at the reaping, but rather, watching it through someone's window. She'll be mortified that Aries was picked, but only an expression of shock will cross her face. ~Friend: Seraphina "Phin" Axel. Age: 16. Seraphina is a very pretty girl, with golden blonde hair and olive green eyes, her skin is a toasty color that makes her look remarkable. Seraphina comes from a high-class home and before Aries left his life, she and him spent a lot of time together. When Aries left, Seraphina was both heart-broken and angry, you see, she had fallen in love with Aries, she truly had. She couldn't rap her mind around his reasons for leaving and she hated it. It was a year after he left that she saw him again, this time he and Coco were just sitting on the side of the road, sharing a piece of bread. Seraphina looked twice before screaming his full name. Aries looked at the girl who he had not forgotten. He tried to ignore her, but she wouldn't have it, she walked over and plopped down next to him, all the while, Coco was watching with confusion. "I can't believe it's you!" Seraphina said, with joy, despite the anger she had previously held for him. Seraphina is the only person to have witnessed both sides of Aries (his previous life and his life after leaving) and she still thinks she's in love. Seraphina's a bright and bouncy girl, though slightly naive due to her luxurious upbringing. When she's calm though, she is polite and caring. She was very hurt by Aries' disappearance. She'll probably admit her love to him before it's too late... When he's reaped, she'll go through the pain and anger again. Screaming "no" and then trying to pull him back, holding his hand even at the base of the stairs. "I can't lose you again," she says through tears before crashing her lips against his, leaving him momentarily stunned. In front of all of Panem.

Biography: Aries was born into a wealthy family, where he was born and raised to be the best, and to do everything the best. However, he couldn't handle living a life like that, because he didn't like to feel above people and be despised how controlling his father was. At age 14, he and his father had a horrible argument, over Aries' future. It ended with a lot of broken glass and Aries was fuming by the end. He walked out the door, telling his father he didn't have to take that . His father was angry at first, but after Aries had left, he managed to say "I'm sorry" though no one could hear. Aries and his father had lost any and all contact in the 3 years following, but his father wanted to tell him that he wanted him back. After running away, Aries began to think of himself as a coward, but he couldn't go back, his pride wouldn't allow him. He spent that night in an alley, more cold and uncomfortable than he had ever been, but he dealt with it, because he wasn't going back. He dropped out of school and took up a job slaughtering the livestock. One night, a band of thieves had him cornered and he had to be saved by Coco, who was able to send a rock at their heads. From that night on, Aries and Coco began to spend a lot of time together, they formed a bond. That was also the night Aries realized he really had to learn how to defend himself.

Personality: He is very closed off from the world, often times quiet and brooding. Aries tends to be mysterious as he will not let anybody close to him or let anybody know about his history. However, there are a lot of theories about that. He gets annoyed easily and it's evident by the way he grits his teeth and his eagerness to lash out. He has a difficult time stifling anger and a lot of the time, it ends with fights. He is basically one big ball of teen angst. He does, contrary to popular belief, feel compassion, though it takes a certain type of person to awake that feeling. He can be very protective, but for some reason, is uncomfortable with people knowing he can be kind. It's sort of embarrassing in his mind.

Quirks/habits: He doesn't look people in the eye when he is talking to them.

Issues/problems/fears: He is afraid of other people knowing about his past or exploiting his kind side. He has problems with trusting people.

Reaping Outfit: He wears what he normally wears, a beat up pair of cargo pants and a dark t shirt. His boots are muddy and have a hole in the toe and his sweatshirt is two sizes too big.

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): No.

Interview outfit (optional): Dark red tux with black trim. Yeah, I suck with guy's clothes. **(that's fine, I do, too!)**

Interview angle: He answers in short yet truthful sentences, he doesn't have to pretend that he likes it there. He looks like a tough competor, but his charisma is very low. The interviewer may ask about Phin, in which case, he'll answer truthfully. Yes she kissed him. Yes that was the first time. Yes he loves her. Yes he wants to get back to her.

Games strategy: He'll form an alliance and stay on the defensive side of things, he'll remain out of the way until he has to engage in battle or if he feels like he should.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): Minimum 1, maximum 2, so a relatively small alliance.

Romance (yes or no): No, he's got Phin back home. :)

Career (yes or no): No… unless you want to…

Token: Coco's tattered leather necklace. It was the only thing left with her when her parents abandoned her, but she feels like it should belong to him now.

Strengths: Due to his job and life, he is a good fighter and is strong with whips and axes, he is a good hunter, as he knows how to skin animals and catch them, he is physically strong and has learned a thing or to about stealing.

Weaknesses: Due to his large size, he isn't the most nimble, he can't climb very well, and his pride keeps him from staying safe, as it is with leaving his home and not coming back. He makes rash or in the moment choices that he then has to deal with.

Weapon(s) of choice: Whips and axes.

**District Eleven**

Fortis Lupus

Gender: Male

Age: 18

Appearance: Dark skin, Blue eyes, Large Built, Short Hair(not bald),Three claw marks on cheek, marks from wolf bite on arm, Black hair, about 6'2.

Personality: He is very reserved, he keeps to himself, he only answers questions in two or three word even if they require a paragraph, only talks to very young people about 12 or 13 is the limit, he feels as if they still have a small bit of innocence left.

History: Work very hard since his parents died. The only family he has left is his sister Michelle and his brother Mark. they are everything to him and if he doesn't win he wants to make an ally that says that they will protect them if he/she wins. Works in the district helping deliver the plants to and from the city (if you can call it a city). At night he hunts with wolves to get food and water. These wolves have thought of him as the alpha male since he was brave enough to fight there alpha at the age of 11 and win. He doesn't let Michelle or Mark come near them because he is super overprotective.

Strengths (up to four): Martial Arts, Climbing, Running, Super strong(His survival skills are amplified because of his work with the wolves)

Weaknesses (no less than three): Close range combat with weapons(if he is fighting someone who doesn't have or sword or something they are going to die because he has memorized all pressure points in the body), Swimming

Weapon of choice: body or (His wolves or any wolves that he can tame)

Other weapons: Throwing Knives and Throwing Axe and throwing Spears

Family: Michelle(Sister) age 12 she is still innocent Mark (brother) 12 they are twins

Friends: Animi- The newest pup in the pack (Please let him take Animi to be his district token and grow during the games and before the games Animi is always on his back or on top of his head.

Special Skills: Can craft almost anything out of anything, Taming animals, Very stealthy for a big guy.

Alliances?: Yes but preferably the youngest boy and youngest girl who remind him of his siblings and romance

Romance?:Yes but with an 18 year old who reminds him of his mother.

Volunteer/Chosen?: Choosen

Reaction to reaping: He grunted and walked to the stage both his siblings crying Animi sensing his pain even though he was not showing it.

Token: Animi

Interview Outfit: Very simple

Interview Angle: Very simple

Reaping Outfit: Very simple

Training room strategy: Try to find his alliance and show off so the Careers wont mess with him.

What skill did they show to gamemakers?: Strength crushing the skull of a life like dummy with his bare hands. His throwing skills. And his speed.

What kind of score would they get? (be realistic):I'm not trying to over-exaggerate but I do think that a ten would be what he gets. If you want to lower it that is fine but this suits him

Interview Quote:"I need to win. Wanting it is not an option."

Way of death?: That's your choice except if he dies in bloodbath I will find you and hurt you.

Career: If you want him to be he can, if there is a certain plot twist your looking for. Like in another story my other tribute I use he was blackmailed into the careers so just an idea **(haha, good times, good times...)**

Jade Triver

Gender: Female

Age: 18

Appearance: Average height, skinny, dark brown hair with large waves on the ends, brown eyes, smooth and fair skin, beautiful, gorgeous, sexy

Relationships: Mother: Kina Triver. Her mother is an illegal weapons trader. Father: Unknown. Her mother doesn't know which man is the girl's father.

Biography: Her mother, Kina, had several boytoys at the time. She didn't even know which one had gotten her pregnant. Kina wasn't really there for her daughter as she grew up, causing Jade to make her own way through life. As Jade grew older, she started going to the clubs in her district, at first to try and steal money off of the people there. As she got even older, she learned to use her beauty to her advantage and started swindling men out of their money. As she hit 16 she became a hooker.

Personality: She is very flirtatious and enjoys the presense of boys a little to much. She can be very nice to them even if she doesn't get any money or anything else off of them. Dispite this, she does not get along with other girls. At all. There are only a few females on the planet that she would actually get along with. However, she has a sadistic side to her that would be very hard to draw out, but it is there nonetheless.

Quirks/habits: She chews gum constantly. It is addictive for her and she is never caught without it. Once inside the game it really starts to bother her.

Issues/problems/fears: She is addicted to chewing gum. She is afraid of snakes, spiders, bugs, rodents and large dogs. She isn't an animal person. She gets very jumpy and nervous around peacekeepers and people of authority.

Reaping Outfit: A short, tight red dress, her brown hair simply down. Her makeup is done with red lipstick and a lot of mascara.

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): No

Interview outfit (optional): Figure it out yourself XD

Interview angle: Flirty, sexy

Games strategy: Find a guy or two to protect you until you are far enough in the Games to kill them off and still survive.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): As many or as little as you want, but will probably always be in an alliance

Romance (yes or no): YES

Career (yes or no): Maybe

Token: A gum wrapper from the first piece of gum she ever chewed

Strenghts: Getting people to like her, running, swimming

Weaknesses: Climbing, brute strength, being independant, hand-to-hand combat, wrestling

Weapon(s) of choice: Small knives

**District Twelve**

Tori Lily Middle

Gender: female

Age: 17

Appearance: Tall, slim and pale with wavy red hair and bright, intelligent green eyes. She has full red lips and long eyelashes and is very pretty.

Relationships: ~Gale Middle: Her mother who died giving birth to her. ~Tom Middle: Her father who never loved her. He works every day and is almost never home. ~Donna Gonnels: her aunt. ~Dora Gonnels: Her cousin who is also seventeen. ~Harris Marcher: Her best friend, whom she secretly loves. He is tan with black hair and emerald green eyes. ~Marceline Jennings: Her other best friend, who is gothic and crazy.

Biography: Tori lives with her aunt who educated her and taught her everything she knows. Her cousin Dora is jealous of her and bullies her constantly.

Personality: Smart, quiet, brave

Quirks/habits: She speaks whatever is on her mind and eavesdrops when when she doesn't want to. She loves to read and has practically read every book out there. She walks without making a sound and buys all of her shoes to serve this purpose.

Issues/problems/fears: She is scared of bugs and small spaces.

Reaping outfit: A white lng-sleeved dress that is huge on her, along with a brown belt around her waist and a pare of brown sandals.

Volunteer: Yes, because Marceline was reaped and she knew her friend wasn't strong enough to go into the Games.

Interview Outfit: A midnight blue dress with a hint of green. The dress is long and reaches her ankles where she wears a pair of matching high-heels. It ties around the neck like some bathing suits do and shows off her back.

Interview angle: Right side **(This is not what I meant! :P)**

Game strategy: Hide and only kill if your attacker is trying to kill you. Spend your time wisely and don't cause any trouble, try to go unnoticed. Stay in hidingand only come out if you must.

Alliance: one or two people

Romance: She is in love with Harris so will not fall for others, although this does not mean that they won't fall for her

Career: No

Token: Her aunt's locket that has her mother's photograph inside it.

Altiar/Aiden Celestite

Gender: Male

Age: 15

Appearance: He has thick, wild, messy hair falling to his chin in layers. The first layer comes above his big, stunning lapis lazuli blue eyes, the second to his cheek-bones, the final to his chin. His hair is a semi-curly, but more wavy, greasy medium brown, with hints of dark blonde. He looks a bit feminine, much to his embarrassment. He has soft, delicate features. He has a deeply arched, slightly pointed nose, with sort of smaller full tinted pink lips. He has very pale, creamy skin, being like vanilla. He is 5' 7" 132lbs. and he has a slight dip in his hips. He looks so innocent, but one thing you don't notice unless you focus namely on his eyes, are that they are wild, almost always darting around in a paranoid fear. he looks almost crazed, if you just look in his eyes, not just him as a whole.

Relationships: -Mom, Callista, sees her son as a monster. -Dad, Riley, he is a bit worried for his son, and is a bit soft for a guy. -Sister, Mare, aged 7, she is sweet and innocent, and loves her brother despite all his craziness.

Biography: He was born with his disorder, and people always feared and/or saw him as a freak for it. He was always left out, though not by choice. He tried to fit in, tried to be nice and social, but he would just get laughed at. He became a bit jaded, and being snippy right off the back after about six years of this. Only his sister TRULY excepted him.

Personality: He literally has two polar opposite personalities, each of which does not know the other exists, and each goes by a separate name in his mind. ~Altiar- His birth-name. He is a bit psychotic, always thinking he sees ghosts or hears voices. He is a bit suicidal, and scared of almost everything, being emotionally unstable. You give him an off look, and he will breakdown in tears and run out at this point, he is just that sensitive. He believes that the careers are quite literally aliens. He has extreme paranoia, schizophrenia, he has OCD, he twitches quite a bit and they think he may have minor turrets. He often makes outbursts, and things such as "Ng, GAH!, Ah!, um, uh, er, eh, and Fff" are injected randomly within his words along with a twitch, as he often feels uncomfortable around people. He doesn't trust them. However, if he feels secure around you, he appears a bit more calm when talking to you, without all those random sounds here and there in his sentences, with not as much twitching. He can be really sweet if you are kind to him. ~Aiden- This is what his mind dubbed his evil side. He refers to himself in third person, ie. "You can run from Aiden, but you can't hide from Aiden." He is a killing machine, and will kill anyone in his way. He has no control over what he does, and is very creative with how he kills someone. He is worse than the careers, and could easily kill an adorable new born baby in this state. This is what happens when he breaks under pressure, or gets extremely angry. He will even harm those closest to him. He has no memories from the Altiar side of his mind, and vise-versa. He could skin you alive and not feel any emotion, he will sit there expressionless. He feels no mercy, no sympathy, no empathy, just apathy and hatred. He enjoys taking a long time in his kills, often taking hours, or even days to slowly kill them. Shrill screams are music to his ears, and faintly smiled when he hears one. He uses adrenaline if available to keep his victims alive and alert. In America now, he'd be a top 100 wanted person for homicide. When he exits this stage, he blacks out.

Quirks/habits: I mentioned most above, but he snaps his fingers or counts sometimes as he walks, and whistles when he is afraid.

Issues/problems/fears: I will name his BIGGEST fears, as he has many. His issues and problems are pretty obvious XD Heights, Bugs, Snakes, Human Contact, small areas, dogs, needles, loud drilling noises, and the dark.

Reaping Outfit: A wrinkled glossy white dress shirt, with black dress pants and dress shoes. He attempts to comb his hair, but it still looks messy and disheveled.

Volunteer (yes or no. If yes, why?): No, he screamed and tried to run when his name was called, his eyes frantically darting around in fear.

Interview outfit (optional): He wears a deep blue colored suit, with a glossy white dress shirt and a deep blue tie. They cave him a sedative, just in case.

Interview angle: Honest. He seems crazy, and a tad bit dangerous.

Games strategy: Just do whatever, and hope to live.

Alliance (minimum and maximum): 1-5 including him

Romance (yes or no): Either way. It might me nice if someone was able to make him a bit more on the sane side. Either way is fine.

Career (yes or no): No. They wouldn't want him, anyways, because Career girls wouldn't even base off of looks like some may...

Token: None

Strengths: -His Aiden side is not afraid of blood or killing. -He doesn't get attached easily, as very few give him chances. -He is very good with hand held, not actual weapons. (Like stone, glass, poison, teeth, etc.) -He knows herbs very well. -As Aiden, he is very good with aim, and can run very fast.

Weaknesses: -As Altiar he cannot harm anyone, as he is too kind for that. -He often hears and sees things not there that throw him off. -If a stone is misplaced and he sees a print, he must move it. Even if it is a trap. -He isn't exactly smart, to say the least... He's not stupid, just average. -Aiden is too focused on his victims, not protecting himself. -Altiar is easily fooled, in most cases. -He trips often when running, and cannot swim worth of anything.

Weapon(s) of choice: A sharp rock, or broken glass. His hands are deadly, though. Seriously. He could strangle you fairly easily, and in his Aiden stage could probably break your neck with one hand(Exaggerating, obviously).


	2. The Reapings

**Can it be? I'm done with the Reapings? YES! I love almost all of these characters but writing the Reapings is just sooooooooo boring. So boring. Anywho, I'm going to tell you now that I will almost never stray from the tribute forms that you sent me and if I do it will only be a little. I think I may have done this once, or even twice, in this chapter so don't be surprised if your character isn't _exactly_ how you said they were. Don't worry, if I changed something it's just the little tiny things that no one cares about anyway. So, the next chapter will be the train rides! Yay! I have some ideas, but as always feel free to send me yours, for your own character or even for characters that aren't yours. PLEASE REVIEW! I love hearing what you guys think about my writing! Also, not everyone got a POV in this chapter, but I promise that doesn't mean they aren't going to be important to the story, that just means that I thought it would be a better approach to get to know their character a different way. **

**Now that I'm done talking about it, read it!**

* * *

**Monroe, Age 15, District 1**

"Monroe," My brother, Samuel, says coming up behind me. I turn away from my mirror to look at him. He stands there glaring at me, his lips pursed in a slight snarl and his eyes narrowed.

"Yes?" I ask quietly.

"Mom told me to tell you that it's almost time for the Reaping." He replies. Without waiting for a response he turns and skulks out of the room, not looking back. I don't blame him; I'm not really worth looking back at. My own mother doesn't even talk to me directly; she just tells Samuel what she wants to tell me. I'll never be good enough for her. Turning back around, I study my reflection in the mirror one last time. I want to look my best. I might not be good enough, but I do try my hardest. Maybe one day my best _will_ be good enough. I'm small at the mere height of 5"1 and the meager weight of one hundred pounds. My curly blonde hair falls halfway between my shoulders and my elbows and my dark blue eyes sometimes appear black, today being one of those days. My long, dark eyelashes stand out against my pale, porcelain skin and my pearly white teeth look almost unnatural. Still not good enough.

"Mom told me to tell you that it's time to leave," My brother says, coming back into my room without knocking. He always does that. I stand and follow him out of the house. Our home isn't the best in District One but it's large, with a bedroom for each of us and one left to spare. Mother stands outside, impatiently waiting for us to arrive. When we reach her she leans over and whispers something into my Samuel's ear. "Mom wants to know why you took so long."

I hesitate before saying, "I wanted to look my best." Samuel repeats this to Mother as if she can't hear me speak. Sometimes I wonder if this is true. Mother whispered something into his ear again. He turns to me.

"Mom said that you aren't worth all of that makeup you used this morning to try and look pretty. She says you will never look pretty," My brother frowns disapprovingly at me before he and mother start walking down the road. I follow them, a little behind.

"I didn't use much," I whisper, though no one can hear me.

**Oak, Age 17, District One**

I slash the dummy's throat before lunging at another, sinking my blade into its chest. Whirling around, I do a flying kick and send the last's head soaring across the District One Training Center. It slams into the wall before falling to the ground with a slight thud. Pleased, I turn to my trainer who studies me through his narrowed brown eyes.

"Am I ready?" I ask, not wanting to wait for him to take his time like he normally does. Even yet, he still hesitates, scratching his chin and taking a sip of pink lemonade.

"Yes," He finally says, placing his empty glass down on a nearby table. "You are ready." I smile slightly before dashing out of the District One Training Center. My arms swing at my sides as I run all the way home, my feet pounding against the sidewalk. I burst through my front door, not even breaking a sweat.

"I'm back," I announce. My house isn't much, just a two roomed shack-like structure. My younger sister, Tulip, comes out of the backroom with a curious look on her face. She's already prepared for the Reaping in an aqua-marine dress, her hair tied up in a bun. She resembles me, with the same dark hair and blue-green eyes. The only difference is that I'm fairly tall and she's slightly short for her age.

"What'd he say?" She questions.

"He said that I'm ready," I answer. She smiles, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. I know she doesn't want me to go.

"That's great," She lies. "Well, you better get ready." I put on a white cotton shirt, patched up black slacks, and a pair of scuffed old shoes. It's not much, but it's the best we have. We are one of the poorest families in District One; we have been ever since my father left us. Just the thought of how he abandoned us make me want to crush something. He left me with no choice other then to volunteer today. I need to save my family from poverty.

We leave the house, knowing that our mother will meet us in the district square. As we walk through the poorest part of District One we pass broken down houses and worn out people sitting on their porches, sad looks in their eyes. I wave at them as I go, trying to look as upbeat as possible, but really I'm terrified. I know I'm great and I know that I'm going to be one of the best tributes in this year's Games, but I don't know if I'll be _the_ best. And really it doesn't matter; all it takes to win the Games is a bit of luck and a few loyal sponsors.

We reach the square and I greet my mother before filing in with the other seventeen year old boys. Our district escort steps up to the microphone, her heels clacking against the ground as she walks.

"Welcome," She begins. "Welcome. In a few moments I will be choosing the tributes to represent District One in this year's Hunger Games. It is a great honor to be named the District One tribute, as you represent not only your family but the entire district. First, however, I have a very special video for you to watch all the way from the Capitol." They turn on that boring video again. It's something about District Thirteen and the war and blah, blah, blah. Does anyone actually watch this? It's so pointless and retarded.

"This is so stupid…" I grumble about halfway through. Several other boys nod in agreement.

"I just love that." Our escort laughs as the video shuts off. "And now, ladies first." A silence falls over the district. It seems out of the ordinary here, the district square is always bustling with people and full of noises and sounds. Our escort sinks her hand into the sea of papers and comes up with a single slip. "Monroe Willems!" A rather small fourteen year old girl makes her way up to the stage. I glance at her brother, Samuel. I don't really know him but he's in some of my classes at school. He doesn't even look sad to see her go. His expression remains unreadable. "Are there any volunteers?" All is quiet.

"And now for the boys," The escort says. She pulls out one single slip of paper and reads it into the microphone. "Leo Delver."

"I volunteer!" I shout before anyone else gets the chance. I race up onto the stage.

"What is your name?" The escort asks.

"Oak Harper"

**Kyler, Age 17, District 2**

When I was seven I killed my family. I don't feel guilty at all. Why should I? They deserved it. My sister called me a freak and my parents were looking at me weird. How dare they? I slit my sister's throat, _how horrible!_ It doesn't matter, though; none of these idiots know I did it. I told them all that I came home to find my family dead. I don't get why they would get so worked up about it anyway. It's just murder, what's the big deal?

But I do know that if they find out I killed them they would lock me up. They won't find out, of course, not about my family. The thing is I want to kill more people. When they were dying I felt better then I ever had before in my life. It was like… as they were growing weaker, I grew stronger. Their blood was like liquid gold to me. I still keep some of it in jars in the back of my pantry.

**Claudia, Age 18, District 2**

As I get back from training, I head straight up into my room, not wanting to talk to my parents. All they'll want to talk about are the Games. I take my long, wavy dark brown hair out of its ponytail and take off my gym clothes. I step into the shower for a few minutes and soak in the warm waters. Going back into my room, I slide on a stunning white dress and matching heels. I apply my makeup to bring out my green eyes and try to hide my scars that I received from training as much as possible. I want to look my best today.

"Sweetie," My mother calls in her sing-song voice. "It's time for the Reapings!" With a sigh I head downstairs. My mother frowns. "Remember not to pull on your hair."

"Yes, Mom," I nod, letting my hand fall to my side from where it had been twirling the brown strands.

"Honey," She calls upstairs to my father. Despite the fact that we are a rather wealthy District Two family, I'm the only child my parents had. "It's time to go! We don't want to be late!"

"Coming!" My father snaps back from the second floor.

"Mom," I say quietly. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure, dear, anything," She nods, smiling slightly.

"What if…" I say slowly. "What if I told you… that I don't want to volunteer?"

"I would kick you out of the house," She replies honestly. There is no doubt in my mind that she wouldn't. "Why do you ask?" It's a good thing my mother is a bit ditzy.

"Just wondering," I lie. My father finally makes his way down and we set off, me walking a little further away. I can't believe my parents are actually going to make me volunteer. What if I don't want to volunteer? Do they even care what I want? Over my entire lifespan they have never once stopped and asked me if I actually wanted to be a tribute. Never.

**Kyler, Age 17, District 2**

As I head to the Reaping I pass by my reflection in a shop window. I'm in a dark grey dress shirt with a pair of black pants, strands of my spiky black hair falling into my celery-green eyes. I'm rather tall and fit, with smooth tan skin. Girls say I'm cute. It makes me want to rip their guts out and feed their eyes to the pigeons.

I get my finger pricked and make my way over to the section for seventeen year old boys. Our escort steps up to the microphone, his neon green hair put up in a twelve-inch Mohawk and his nails each painted bright pink. I narrow my eyes and mutter threats under my breath, each one personalized for the people standing excitedly around me. A hush falls over the square as he steps up to read the name of the female. A small, twelve year old girl is reaped and it brings me pleasure to imagine snapping her skinny little neck.

"Any volunteers?" The escort asks in a deep voice. There is a moment of silence before a girl finally speaks up.

"I volunteer…?" The way she says it makes it sound like a question. She tentatively makes her way up to the stage and I can see her forcibly hold her hands at her sides.

"Tell us your name," The escort orders.

"Claudia Knight," She replies, sounding braver and putting on a face of determination.

"And now for the boys…" As the district escort steps up to the glass orb, I ready myself. The name barely has time to leave his lips before my hand punches the air.

"I volunteer!" I screech. Not waiting for him to wave me up, I rush onto the stage and smile down at the audience.

"What is your name?"

"Kyler Ponticello."

Now I can kill people.

**Bo, Age 16, District 3**

Standing outside the door, I knock quietly. "Ma," I say, looking at the rotting wood. "Are ya ready?"

"Almost," She replies from inside the room.

"Well, I don't mean to rush ya," I say slowly. "But we really need to get goin'."

"Alright, alright," she rolls her eyes as she opens the door, speaking in a southern accent that matches mine. She gasps.

"What?"

"My boy…" she breathes. She gently guides me over to a mirror and I look at my reflection trying to see what's so special. I'm tall and muscular with tan skin, short black hair and brown eyes. For the Reaping I'm wearing a pair of torn jeans, dirty sneakers and a grass-stained T-shirt. I hate having to get so dressed up. I mean, why do we have to wear shirts anyway? I certainly don't like wearing them.

"Ma, that ain't nothin'," I say. "I don't look nearly good as you."

She rolls her eyes. "If you're done pullin' my leg, son, lets get goin'."

**Lark, Age 15, District 3**

I sit besides a small creek, the only one within the boundaries of Three and try to capture its beauty on a simple sheet of paper. As always, it's difficult, but when I realize what time it actually is, I've gotten an almost perfect replica down on paper. I gasp at my watch which rests right below my charm bracelet on my arm and, grabbing my things, take off for home. I burst through the front doors of my house and rush to the room I share with my sisters, Dove and Raven. They sit on their beds, lazily watching me hurry to get dressed. I throw on a pale, knee-length purple sleeveless dress that conveniently has pockets and tie my chestnut brown hair up in a loose ponytail. Luckily I don't need makeup to bring out my big, grey eyes and all I wear on my feet are a pair of purple flats that match the dress.

"It's time to go," My mother says, peeping her head in through the door. As we walk through the district I notice every little detail. I notice the scars on everyone's faces and the spider webs glinting in the sunlight. I notice the gleams off the guns of the peacekeepers and the shades of the outfits everyone wears. I notice the eggshell whites of the slips of paper with all the names on them as our escort pulls out one single one.

"Lark Mila!" Oh no. She picked me. Ever stares at me as I walk up onto the stage. I feel the cold of the marble even through the bottoms of my shoes. Everyone finally stops looking at me when she goes to draw the name of the boy. "Bo Wester!" Everyone looks around confused. There is a boy named Bo in this district? I've certainly never heard of one. Nonetheless, he makes his way up to the stage. Our escort signals for us to shake hands. Mine are trembling. He squeezes it reassuringly and smiles at me slightly, in an _it's okay_ kind of way. But the thing is it's not okay. Things are never going to be okay again.

**Stella, Age 17, District 4**

I dodge the sword my brother, Wade, lunges at me with and dance past his defenses. I bring down my dagger but he blocks it with his blade at the last minute and darts out of reach. I charge and our blades connect with a _cling_. I kick my foot into his stomach and he falls backwards onto the grass. I'm on top of him instantly, my knife at his throat. I hear clapping in the background and look at my father anxiously.

"Well done," He says in a deep voice. "But-" He's cut off by the sound of people making their way past our house. Instantly we hid our weapons, mine in my shirt and my twin brother, Wade, in a bush nearby. We wait for the sound of the people to fade before we take them out again. We aren't supposed to have weapons outside the District Four Training Center, but my father doesn't trust them to give us the proper education. He'd much rather train Wade and I himself.

"But…?" My brother asks, a little impatiently. My brother wants to go to the Games so badly.

"But I think that Stella should volunteer." My father says simply. Anger rises in my brother's eyes and I swallow hard. My father looks at me. "Stella. You are ready."

**Clay, Age 18, District 4**

I watch the grey clouds milling around on the horizon through narrowed eyes, the smoke-like puffs sending lighting down to the ocean as I watch from my bedroom window. My father was taken away by a storm when I was fifteen. He went out on a fishing trip and never came back. Now, just the sight of dark clouds sends shivers down my spine.

"Clay," My younger sister, Mariana—we call her Mari for short—says, knocking on my door. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," I say, my voice cracking slightly. I wear a light blue button-up shirt, khaki shorts and brown sandals. On my wrist resides none other then the brown leather bracelet that I almost never take off. It belonged to my father. I stand and we head out into the district. I look longingly at the ocean as we go, wishing I could be swimming in its calming grip instead of in the heat heading to the Reaping.

"Hey, Clay," My girlfriend, Alanna, appears besides me and pecks me on the cheek as I arrive with my family at the town square.

"Hey," I smile down at her. I'm far taller then her, with dark green eyes and deep brown hair. My skin is tan and dusted with small freckles from the warm sun and I'm fit from all the extra work down at the docks.

"You're nervous," She says. I have no idea how she does it, but she always knows what I'm feeling. I nod. "Don't be. What are the chances of you getting reaped?"

**Stella, Age 17, District 4**

I wait for the video to end, glancing around at the rest of the bored audience. None of them have any idea I'm going to volunteer. Why would they? I'm not friends with any of them, and I've most certainly never had a boyfriend. No, I don't have time for that. The escort picks a terrified looking fifteen year old girl.

"I volunteer!" I shout. I scurry up the stairs and stand proudly. I wear a yellow dress and a grey jacket along with matching grey shoes. The escort smiles with creepy pearly white teeth, and after I announce my name to the crowd, she goes to choose the boy tribute. Digging her hand deep into the slips of paper she pulls out one name in all the thousands. "Clay Forrest!"

**Azalea, Age 13, District 5**

"Isaac!" I hear my mother scream. I rush into her room and wake her from her sleep.

"Mom," I say in my loudest voice, which is actually rather quiet, as she looks around frantically, her eyes darting around the room in terror. "Mom, it's okay, everything is going to be okay."

"But, but…" She stutters before starting to murmur things to herself.

"You're alright," I whisper, giving her a hug and holding her under she stops saying things under her breath. She continues to tremble, however, and looks much more nervous then she should be in her own home. "You were just having a bad dream."

Once she is calm enough I stand and resume getting ready for the Reaping. Mom always sleeps late, so I'm already halfway done getting dressed. I step into my outfit that I had laid out the night before, a pure white summer dress that falls to my knees in layers, and put on my matching shoes, a pair of braided white flip-flops. I reach behind my head to put my golden hair up with a white ribbon. My bangs keep falling in my face so I use a white rose clip to put them up. I study myself in the mirror with a frown. I hate how I look. My eyes are blue-green with flecks of gold, and my nose is arched and slightly hooked and rounded at the end. My small lips are a rosy pink and tiny freckles cover my nose and cheek bones. My ears are even slightly pointed at the top, causing all of it combined to make me look like an elf, earning me the nickname 'Pixie.'

"Mom," I say, sticking my head back into her room. My father sits on the mattress with her, talking to her about the dream. They both look up and their conversation stops. "I'm going to go to the Reaping…"

"You look beautiful." My father smiles. His face is wrinkled and the grin doesn't quite reach his eyes. He is strong and muscular, yet somehow he still appears vulnerable. He looks so tired; mostly from all the hours he spends working to support my mother and I.

"Thank you," I reply, even though I know that I don't look beautiful, that he's just saying that because I'm his daughter.

"Be careful," My father calls after me as I walk away. "Don't talk to any strangers!"

"I won't," I yell back as I walk out into the district. District Five isn't anything special, we barely ever win the Games. Why? Because we're just the middlemen. One, Two and Four have training centers. They are expected to win and the sponsors love them. District Three is full of geniuses, they always get at least one smart tribute every year that has a good chance of winning. Six is famous for its _interesting_ tributes, like Peregrine from last year. You won't believe how many of the people here had been rooting for her. Seven has strong tributes, made muscular from all the days they spend chopping down trees. Eight, being the richest outlying district, has tributes that are more reformed then the others and it usually earns them sponsors. Nine has tributes made strong from all the time spent in the fields. Ten's tributes are used to killing; they grow up around the slaughter houses. Eleven's tributes are powerful and determined to win; take Abrielle from example. Twelve is the underdogs, and what sponsor doesn't love a long shot? We're just the district that gets randomly thrown in there with no real place or job, except to supply blood bathers that no one will remember in a year or two anyway.

I have to shake myself out of my thoughts when I arrive at the Reaping. I allow them to prick my finger and I flinch at the cool metal as it draws my blood. I file in with the other thirteen year old girls and cross my arms as I wait in the crowd. I glance around me and can practically feel the anxiety rolling off the crowd in waves. No one wants to die. This District, I suppose you could say, is for the fearful. We've long been used to being afraid. After all, we're the only district that gets preyed on every night by a rogue snake mutt. The monster has killed so many of our people. We know what its like to be scared.

"Welcome!" A rather plump man from the Capitol says when all of the children have arrived and quieted down. He plays the video and when it is over he steps up to the glass orb that holds the names of all the girls. "And now for the first victim- I mean tribute." He sinks his hand deep into the bowl of paper.

"Azalea Foxglove!"

I don't want to be the first victim. Nonetheless, I feel myself making my way up to the stage as if on autopilot. I have no control over my own body as it takes itself up and I stare back at the crowd of people. I can vaguely hear my mother shrieking from the back of the crowd and my father trying to calm her down.

"My baby!" She screams. "Someone save my baby!" I know she is trying to save me, but it's already too late.

"And now for the boys," The escort says. "Xavier Gimm!" A rather small boy makes his way up to the stage, but as he steps onto the first step he is stopped.

"I volunteer!" A teenager shouts from the crowd. A sixteen year old of average height makes his way up to the stage, his brown hair sticking up in small spikes all over his head and his green-blue eyes narrowed and staring at his feet as he walks up onto the stage to join me.

"And what is your name?" The escort asks, surprise showing in his voice.

"Jacob Sorenson," The boy replies, his voice dark and causing shivers to run along my spine. He looks so sad. We shake hands and I can't help but notice. His skin is ice cold.

**Marcella, Age 16, District 6**

I run my brush through my dark, slightly curly hair once more. I study my reflection in the mirror, looking over my appearance with soft blue eyes, searching for any blemishes or imperfections. My clean, porcelain skin is smooth and flawless and contrasts with my hair. My teeth are perfectly white and my lips are a peachy pink that brings out my smile. The only things I dislike about my appearance are the light freckles that dot my face. I wear a baby blue, strapless satin dress that reaches a little above my knee. An expensive diamond necklace resides around my neck, its gems glimmering in the light.

"So, yes, tomorrow I'm going to fire twenty people from the production line." I hear my father say in the other room. He owns one of the production lines that build hovercrafts and other transportation vehicles for the Capitol. Due to this, we are one of the richest families in our entire district.

"Father," I say softly, sticking my head into the room he is in. He sits in an oak wood chair sipping a cup of tea while my mother gossips to him about the other people in the district. Their conversation cuts off abruptly as I enter. "Isn't it pointless to fire those people, though?"

"Didn't we ever tell you?" He asks in his deep voice. "Questions are a danger to yourself, and a burden to others."

"My apologies," I say quickly. My father narrows his eyes but he nods. My mother glares daggers at me and I leave the room after a few seconds of silence but I can feel her disapproval following me down the hallway. She's never loved me, or my father for that matter. She just loves his money.

I check myself in the mirror once more. I look beautiful, much better then any other girls from the district ever would. How could they look as beautiful as I, when I am so much better then them in every way?

**Kestrel, Age 18, District 6**

I sit on our couch in front of the TV set, my eyes glued on the screen.

_"I have to get back home to my brother,"_ My sister, Peregrine, says on the television. Instantly, I leap on the remote and pause on an image of her face as she's saying this. I narrow my blue eyes. They are such a light shade they are almost white, just like my sister's were. My raven-feather black hair reaches a little below my ears and curls up at the ends and my skin is pale and my thin lips are pulled into a flat line.

I study my sister's face, but as usual it is blank. Expressionless. She was lying, a trick to get sponsors. She didn't love me. No one could ever love me.

**Marcella, Age 16, District 6**

"Marcella Entwistle!" Shocked gasps echo through the crowd of people as I make my way up to the stage. This cant be happening.

_"Just close your eyes_

_ The sun is going down_

_ You'll be alright_

_ No one can hurt you now"_ I sing under my breath as I step onto the stage. I always sing when I'm scared. I never signed up for tesserae; my name is only in the bowl fifteen times. How did they choose me? I search the crowd for a friendly face but I find none. A small smile lights my mother's expression and my dad does not say a word or make a move, he simply stands there with his hands folded behind his back and his eyes set on me, watching my every motion.

"Kestrel Keating!" This name is called and I cannot believe my ears. Surely there is another Keating family here in the district. But as the boy makes his way up onto the stage I know it isn't true. This is the brother of _the_ Peregrine, the legend who volunteered for last year's Hunger Games. He has the same haunted eyes that she did, the same emotionless face, and the same pitch-black hair. We were both reaped. What are the odds?

**Dmitri, Age 15, District 7**

I sit beside my window in a grey long-sleeved button-down shirt, a pair of black pants, a white tie, and white shoes. I watch with big brown eyes as the birds chatter in the trees and the squirrels leap from the branch to branch like tiny, furry ninjas. Brushing back my curly, dark brown hair with my hand, I stand and make my way over to my dresser. I pick up my dog tag and slip it on my neck. On one side, a tree is engraved along with the number seven, while on the other my full name, Dmitri Klark Jones, and my date of birth are carved into the green metal.

I step out of the house into the street, people walking past and heading this way and that. My house is directly on the way to the square, so almost everyone walks past my home on the way there. Wow, I'm a poet and I didn't know it. I can make a rhyme anytime.

"Ow!" I said loudly as someone rams into me and we both fall to the ground. "Hey, watch where you're-" I cut off abruptly when I see who I'm talking to. A beautiful girl stands, dusting herself off and batting her deep brown eyes that glimmer in the light. She's skinny but still has some curves and she wears a strapless light-yellow sundress and white sandals, her straight, dark brown hair falling in waves.

"Oh, I'm sorry," She blushes, taking my arm and helping me up. She looks down the street and calls to someone I can't quite see. "Raina, slow down and wait for me!" She turns back to me. "I'm sorry; I was trying to catch up to my little sister. Oh no, I got dirt on your outfit! Here, let me help…" She brushes the dirt of my shirt and then takes a step back, looking for any more soil that she might have missed.

"Hey, it's not a big deal." I shrug. "Especially if you're this pretty." She smiles slightly but she seems to have been made incredibly awkward by the situation.

"I should, um, probably catch up to my sister…" She says, rubbing her neck.

"Yeah," I nod as she begins to walk off. I hesitate but call after her. "Hey, what's your name?" She takes a few seconds before replying.

"Eden," She says. "Eden Gravera." She turns and darts off, leaving me standing in the street, people swarming past me.

"It was nice meeting you." I say even though she's already gone. I head to the Reaping with all the others and tap my foot impatiently as the video plays on. It is _so_ boring. Finally, the lights go up and our escort sticks her purple-tinted hand into the over-sized fish bowl full of names.

"Raina Gravera!" She announces. My mouth drops open as I recognize the name of the sister of Eden, the girl who just ran into me in the street. Literally. The small, thirteen year old girl walks onto the stage, small tears falling from her eyes.

"I volunteer!" I hear Eden shriek. Everyone is stunned as Eden takes the place of her sister and announces her name into the microphone. The escort readies herself to call out the name of the male tribute for this year.

"Dmitri Jones!"

Oh crap. That's me.

**Jennifer, Age 18, District 8**

I wear a modest red shirt with full length black pants, my brown hair highlighted with blonde and my chocolate brown eyes brought out by my makeup as I reach the Reaping. Almost instantly, I'm practically tackled by three younger kids, all the age of twelve.

"Ms. Dulrek!" A small girl says, grabbing my arm and jumping up and down. This one has always been a bundle of energy.

"You were almost late, we were worried that you were sick and weren't coming." A boy says in his usual calm voice.

"Yeah," Another girl nods. "I was going to go check on you if you didn't show up!" These three are in the class that I teach at the school here in District Eight. All three of them are good kids and are, quite frankly, my best students.

"Hey, Ms. Dulrek, I got you something!" The first girl says, still bouncing up and down, her mouth in a wide grin.

"What?" I smile.

"Look and see," She laughs, handing me a small box. I look at her with a raised eyebrow before slowly opening the container. Inside is a relatively small pin in the shape of an ostrich. I can't help but burst out laughing at the randomness of the present. "His name is Carl!" She says. Taking Carl out of the box, I pin him to my shirt and the kids giggle uncontrollably.

"Thank you," I say, bending down slightly and giving them each a hug.

"Hey, look," Says the other girl, pointing over at a rather small boy with light brown hair and matching brown eyes. "There's Siggy." Sigmund, or as he likes to be called, Siggy, is another one of the students in my class. He stands with his mother who is talking to him sternly and he keeps nodding, but I can't make out the words.

"It's best not to stare," I say, turning back to the three kids. "Or eavesdrop." I tell the first girl as she cups a hand beside her ear in an attempt to hear what they're saying. She drops her hand to her side and mumbles an apology. I chuckle and ruffle her hair. She quickly goes to fix it while I look around. "Come on, we need to get into our sections, its going to start soon."

**Sigmund, Age 12, District 8**

"And listen, Siggy," My mother continues. "Remember, you have to make your own path in the world. You are going to bring great pride to our district by winning. Do you understand?" I nod and she narrows her eyes. "I said, do you understand?"

"Yes, Mother!" I say quickly. A smile spreads across her face.

"Good," She nods. "Now go on." She pats me on the back as I walk past her, heading to the section for twelve year old boys. Mother has this theory that if I volunteer and win the Hunger Games now that I'll bring great pride to my District… or something. I don't really want to be a tribute, but it's what she wants, so I suppose I'll do it. My father was a Victor. The only way that she is only going to truly love me is if I volunteer.

The escort reads off the name of the female tribute that I will be partnered with. "Jennifer Dulrek!" Oh no. That's my teacher. She bites her lip as she makes her way up to the stage. She only does that when she's upset, and that's about never. They read off the name of the boy, someone named Silk or something.

"I volunteer!" I yell my voice cracking right in the middle of it. I race onto the stage not even waiting for the escort to summon me. "My name is Sigmund Appeter." I say into the microphone. "And I volunteer as your tribute."

**Adela, Age 15, District 9**

"Alo," I say slowly, glaring at my twin brother with narrowed blue eyes. I can't help but smile as I say the next sentence. "If you reach for that, you won't be able to move your hand for a week. But, you know, you wouldn't need it as I'd have already twisted your undersized penis into a pretzel and even the though of jerking off will cause you unspeakable pain."

"Yeah, sis, I'm sure," He replies sarcastically, a slight grin on his face as well. "Well, if _you_ take it I will bite off your ears and make them into stew."

"Guys," My dad says from the other side of the room. "We _have_ more pancakes, you know."

"Never mind!" Alo shouts running over to the second plate stacked with pancakes. I roll my eyes and take the one we had been fighting over and place it on my own plate. My brother comes back to the table, his mouth stuffed with food. He looks a lot like I do, with the same curly brown hair, skin tone and even facial construction. We look almost identical, except, you know, he's a guy and I'm not.

"Ya know," He says his words muffled by his full mouth as he sits down across from me. "I'm im da bow tun tums tado."

"What?" I laugh.

He swallows his food hard. "I'm in the bowl ten times today."

"Yeah, me too," I nod, before looking off in a random direction. What if…?

"No," My brother says guessing what I'm thinking. I look back at him and tilt my head. "Come on, Adela, you can't seriously be thinking that. It's impossible."

**Alo, Age 15, District 9**

Apparently it wasn't as impossible as I thought. I watch in horror as my sister walks onto the stage, her gentle features pale in fear. The crowd gasps as the 'good twin' is reaped and I wait for someone to volunteer. No one does. So when it comes turn for the male tribute to be chosen… I volunteer.

**Lindsey, Age 16, District 10**

I leap on the oversized rat, pinning the struggling thing to the ground. I whip out my knife, a simple one that I stole from a restaurant a few blocks away, and caress the creature with the cold blade. One by one I slice off its limbs and watch as it loses consciousness. Raising the blade up to my mouth I stick out my tongue and lick off the blood from the dying creature enjoying the tantalizing shivers the metallic taste sends down my spine. In one fluid motion I bring the knife down on the creature's back and stab it through the heart.

I pick it up by the tail and decide to have some fun with the body, repeatedly throwing it up into the air and then catching it again. What, I have to entertain myself somehow!

I suppose that some people would call me a little disturbed, sadistic… psychotic even. But you kind of have to be to live in this world. I'm average height, with short light brown hair that falls to about where my chin is and dark brown eyes that are almost black. For whatever reason my skin has a sort of yellowish tint to it and my teeth are crooked but pearly white. I'm slender and slightly curvy. Some boys call me pretty, but that's before they get to know me.

**Aries, Age 17, District 10**

I walk through the district in beat-up cargo pants and a dark T-shirt. My boots are muddy and worn and the sweatshirt I wear is two sizes to big. It's one of my best outfits. I think it's my genetic appearance that scares people the most, however. I have a hulking frame and I tower over all of them. My skin is dark and damaged from the sun and my hands are scarred and calloused. My dark, greasy hair falls onto my face and into my dark, narrowed green eyes. People don't come close to me as I walk and I can feel them sending nervous glances in my direction as I head to the Reaping.

"Hey, Aries," I hear someone say behind me. Turning, I find Seraphina or Phin for short, smiling up at me, her golden hair falling in perfect curls to frame her gentle features and her olive green eyes standing out against her fair skin. Coco stands at her side, waving to me even though I'm right in front of them. Coco is only thirteen; she's like a little sister to me. We take care of each other. And while Coco and I are dressed in our run-down street clothes, Phin is wearing a gorgeous flowing olive green dress that matches her eyes, olive green heels and an unbelievably expensive necklace made of priceless jewels. There was once a day that I would have been able to afford that.

"Hey," I say in my deep voice. We all walk to the Reaping together, talking. Well, Coco and Phin are doing most of the talking. I'm not a very out-spoken person; I prefer to keep to myself. We split up when we reach the crowd and I pull the hood of my sweatshirt on, hiding my face from anyone who might recognize me from my past.

"Lindsey Eppa!" The escort reads from the slip of paper for the girls. The sound of a whole lot of girls sighing in relief fills the square, along with something else.

"YES!" A sixteen year old girl shrieks in happiness, rushing up to the stage and, much to everyone's dismay, kissing the female escort on the lips before snatching her slip of paper and waving it around in the air. "YES!"

"A-and now for the boys," The escort says, her face pale and her eyes as wide as dinner plates. "Aries Ovis!" The crowd parts for me and I step out into the isle.

"Aries!" I hear Phin yell from somewhere in the mass of people. "No!" I ignore her and make my way to the stairs. I place my foot on one and suddenly someone grabs my arm. Phin clutches onto my jacket for dear life, her eyes wide with terror. A peacekeeper tries to grab her and she struggles against him. I stand, watching the ordeal and having no idea what to do as she still holds on tight to my hand. Suddenly, she breaks free from the peacekeeper and… kisses me. Her soft lips press against mine in front of all of Panem, sending warmth down my spine and all over my body. But all too quickly the peacekeeper has her in his clutches again and is dragging her away. "No! Aries! I won't lose you again!"

Two more peacekeepers come and push me up onto the stage where I slowly go to stand beside Lindsey, her eyes narrowed and a smile dancing across her face. I watch as they take Phin away and I see Coco standing in the crowd, her mouth hung open and her expression horrified. I need to get home. If not for me, then for them.

**Jade, Age 18, District 11**

I wake up to the sound of my mother screaming at me that it's only half an hour until the Reaping. Sitting up in my run down bed, I look over at the naked boy on the other side. I'd say he's about sixteen, maybe fifteen. He said his name was… Dillon? Danny? Something with a D. I place my hand on his shoulder and shake him awake.

"What?" He grumbles.

"I have to get ready for the Reapings," I explain, pulling him off the mattress and guiding him towards the exit. He puts his clothes back on and opens the back door, looking at me regretfully.

"I can't help you get ready?" He asks a dark glint in his eyes.

I laugh slightly. Placing my hand on his chest I take a step forward as if I'm about to kiss him but then shove him backwards out the door. "No," I smile playfully before slamming the door behind him. I sigh and lean against the wall for a moment. I shake it off and head over to my bathroom to get ready. I slip into a tight, short red dress complete with my brown hair curled and my big brown eyes brought out by a whole lot of mascara. I'm beautiful, slightly skinny but still curvy. Plopping a piece of gum in my mouth, I head out into the district, letting the boys stare at me all they want and 'accidentally' dropping things so I have to keep bending over. Hm, this is fun!

**Fortis, Age 18, District 11**

I pick up Animi, my wolf pup, and head out into the district. I'm in simple clothing, even though the peacekeepers won't like it. The poor little pup is about eight weeks old. He's the youngest in the pack that lives outside the District and he's the runt of the litter. I thought I'd better take him with me since I don't want him to get hurt while I'm gone. He is a light brown with blue eyes and a white underbelly, legs and muzzle. He licks my nose as I walk before climbing onto my shoulder. The other citizens stare at him in confusion and shock, but I ignore them.

We reach the square and I look onto the stage to find the rumors true. Abrielle, the Victor from last year's Games, sits up on stage cradling something wrapped in a light-blue blanket in her arms and looking around nervously, her golden hair falling around her soft-looking face and her piercing blue eyes standing out against the dark colors of the district. So she does plan to take the baby with her when she goes to mentor.

Taking my place, I watch as they call the name of the girl. "Jade Triver!" I cannot believe the girl who walks up onto the stage. She's tall and in a skin-tight dress, her lips a matching red. She smiles and bites her lip in a way that makes the mouths of all the other boys twist into grins. I roll my eyes. She might as well have _slut_ writing in marker across her forehead.

"Fortis Lupus!"

I hear Animi whimper from his perch on my shoulders as I make my way up onto the stage, all of the eyes of Panem trained on us. I swallow hard and watch as no one volunteers. Not that that's a surprise.

"I give you your District Eleven tributes: Jade Triver and Fortis Lupus!"

**Tori, Age 17, District 12**

I step out into the hallway in my white sleeve-less dress, a brown belt and a pair of brown sandals, my wavy red hair up in a ponytail and my green eyes being brought out by some makeup. I twirl around a bit and try to look decent, at least.

"You're hideous!" My cousin, Dora, whines in her high-pitched voice. My aunt Donna looks me over through narrowed eyes.

"It'll do," She decides. Dora groans and trudges out of the hallway. Aunt Donna looks over at me. "And, hey, you look great."

"Thank you, Aunt Donna." I smile gently. "I told Marceline and Harris that I would meet them by the book store before the Reaping. May I go now?"

"Sure," She nods. I thank her before dashing out of the house, my feet making no noise against the dirt roads of District Twelve. I pass by dilapidated homes and the dead bodies of small animals that line the streets until I reach the book store, a relatively small construct with stone walls and a flat wooden roof. It's closed, of course, for Reaping day, but Harris stands outside of it, the sight of his attractive black hair and sparkling green eyes making me heart flutter. It always does. But he doesn't know that.

"Hey, Tori," He beams his handsome smile and I can't help but do the same. His grin could light up this whole District; it makes everything seem so much simpler.

"Hey," I say as I reach him. "Where is Marceline?"

"She isn't here yet," Harris replies. He looks me up and down.

"What?" I ask, becoming uncomfortable.

"You look great," He says, smiling crookedly.

"Thanks," I blush.

"Hello," I hear someone say. I turn to see Marceline standing there, her dark blue eyes glimmering from the shadows cast from the book store.

"Oh dear God, Marcy, how long have you been standing there?" Harris exclaims, clutching at his heart and exaggerating his shocked expression to the point that I burst out laughing.

"A little," She shrugs, immerging from the shadows. Marceline can be a little odd, but she is really a great person, and an even better friend. She's the only person besides Aunt Donna who has always been there for me no matter what. Even my own parents weren't always there. I'm sure Mom would have been if she could, but she died giving birth to me. And my father is almost never home, always at work and leaving me to stay with Aunt Donna and her annoying daughter Dora.

"Come on," Harris says. "We need to get going."

**Altair, Age 15, District 12**

"Marceline Jennings!" The escort calls. A rather gothic girl is singled out from the rest of the crowd as everyone moves away from her and makes room for her to walk up onto the stage. I twitch.

"I volunteer!" I hear someone shout. A rather beautiful girl makes her way up and announces herself as Tori Lily Middle.

"And now for the boys," The escort says, sinking her hand into slips of paper. She comes back out with one, one in a thousand. I twitch. "Altair Celestite!" I walk up onto the stage in a wrinkled white dress shirt and black dress pants, my brown hair with blonde highlights messy and horrid looking, my startled blue eyes darting around as I walk up to the escort. I twitch. "Well, shake hands." The escort prompts. I shake Tori's hand before I am herded into the Justice Building. I twitch. No one comes to say goodbye to me.


	3. The Train Rides

**Alright, a few things. First, to all of you who weren't with me for the original premiers of Quiet Like the Snow, I promise to try my hardest not the let any more then ten days get between my chapter updates. Of course, sometimes things happen, but I promise to try my hardest. Also, at this point, the character Lindsey is being based about 75% on the Joker. So, don't be surprised if you see some Batman references in her POV or whenever she shows up. Also, in Bo's southern language, "purdy" is how he says "pretty." I'm surprised the Train Rides are this long, but whatever! More for you I guess! Again, if your character doesn't get a big spot in this chapter, don't kill me. I promise they will all get their chance to shine! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Alo, Age 15, District 9**

"What were you thinking?" Adela yells, hitting me hard upside the head. "Why would you volunteer?"

"Because," I reply. "We both know you can't handle it, Adela. Sure, you can talk big but you're not a fighter. I'm here to protect you."

"I can protect myself, thanks," She growls, folding her arms.

"Can you?"

**Bo, Age 16, District 3**

She's been sitting there for almost forty minutes, looking from that notebook she found, to me, and then back again. It's almost nerve-racking. I give up trying to ignore Lark and her staring, and just sit there and gaze at her, trying to figure out what on Earth she's doing.

"Excuse me, miss," I say finally. She looks up surprised, as if she didn't expect me to speak. "But what are ya doin' starin' at me?"

"See for yourself…" She says, making a few last minute marks on the paper before flipping it around to reveal an almost mirror-worthy image of me.

"Wow…" I breathe, taking the notebook gently and looking over the pencil drawing.

"You have a nice face." She says bluntly.

"Thank ya, miss," I say, handing her back the notebook.

"It wasn't a compliment," She says quickly. "It was an observation."

"You're purdy," I blurt. She raises an eyebrow. "Course, that was an observation thingamabob, too."

"Of course," She nods and we both get lost in our own thoughts.

**Monroe, Age 15, District 1**

"You haven't said anything in the two hours we've been on this train." Oak says from where he sits at a table eating some sort of blue-tinted pastry. I keep my eyes on the TV where they show a replay of the Reaping from earlier today. "You _can_ talk, right?"

"Yes," I reply quietly.

"You won't even look at me." He complains. I don't move. "Look at me." He says gently. Slowly, I turn my head and stare at his feet. "No, look at _me_." I raise my gaze until our eyes meet. "Was that so hard?"

"No," I whisper.

"You have pretty eyes," He smiles. "Don't hide them."

**Aries, Age 17, District 10**

"_Row, row, row your boat_

_ Gently down the stream_

_ Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily_

_ I love to hear you scream_" Lindsey sings, twirling an empty glass in her hands. I flinch as she chucks the cup across the room and it breaks against the wall. Standing, she makes her way over to the broken glass and comes back with a single shard, using it to pick meat out of her crooked teeth. "So, Apollo, what's up?"

"Aries," I hiss.

"What?"

"My name is Aries."

"Oh," She shrugs. "I knew it was some sort of Greek god. So, Aphrodite, what's up?" When I don't reply she pinches both of my cheeks and turn my face towards hers. I shove her hands away and she pouts. "Party pooper…"

**Abrielle, Age 15, District 11 Mentor**

"What's his name?" Fortis asks, staring at my three month old son, curiosity getting the best of him.

"Kane," I reply. "Kane Sterling Maddox."

"How cute," Jade hisses from the other side of the car before stalking over. "Now are you going to give us advice or what?"

I frown. I had been hoping that I would get tributes younger then me. It's my first year after all. It feels so weird to be in charge of two eighteen year olds. I swallow hard and pull my baby closer to me. He's asleep, luckily. I didn't know anything could be so much work. I don't mind, though, if it weren't for the Capitol doctors, we'd both be dead. "One of the most important things is to get people to like you." I begin.

"Blah, blah, blah," Jade rolls her eyes. "Done. It'll be easy, _everyone_ likes _me_."

"I don't like you," Fortis mutters.

"Shut it, Wolfie," She snaps.

"That attitude isn't doing you any good." I say, smiling slightly in a sympathetic way. She narrows her eyes. "You need to learn to act like you like people even if you really don't."

"Oh, you have no _idea_ how good I am at that." She replies, crossing her arms.

"Good," I nod and turn to Fortis. "Do you have any plans?" I ask him. "Are you going to be in an alliance, go it alone… what?" He shrugs and I sigh. This is going to be harder then I thought.

**Jacob, Age 16, District 5**

"So," I say from where I stand next to the window watching the world fly past. "What _would_ happen if Pinocchio said his nose would grow?"

"Then it wouldn't grow," Azalea, or as I like to call her, Pixie, says, her eyebrows scrunched questioningly.

"But then it would be a lie, so it would grow." I reply. She laughs a little and rubs her chin. Turning back around, I look out through the glass. All different shades of green flash by at two hundred miles per hour. I see Pixie's reflection studying me through narrowed eyes. "What?"

"You seem different," She says. "Then you did at the Reaping. You looked so… sad." There is a long pause in which no one says anything. "Why did you volunteer?" I don't say anything; just turn back to the window. No need to trouble her with my depressing life story.

Suddenly, the car lurches and I am thrown backwards, almost falling to the floor but catching myself on a chair. "Are you alright?" Pixie asks, rushing over to make sure I'm okay.

"Yeah," I grumble. I look outside. "The train stopped." Opening the window and sticking my head out, I find twenty-two other people doing the same.

"We are having some technical difficulties." I hear a nasally male voice say over the speaker. "Please remain calm and inside your designated District Car."

"I didn't know the other tributes were on this train, too," Pixie says, poking her head out.

"Me neither." I admit.

**Lindsey, Age 16, District 10**

"I'm going for a walk!" I announce, waving to Aphrodite as I slip out the door to the car. He doesn't seem to care that I'm leaving. He doesn't seem to like me very much. I wonder why! I'm in a tiny room where the only things inside are two doors, one with the number _ten_ above it that I just came from and another with the number _nine_ above it. The District Nine car. Smiling, I open the door and strut inside.

A boy not much younger then me sits at a table, his blue eyes looking at something outside the window. Right, this is the District with the Dynamic Duo. I roll my eyes. His sister is no where to be found. He turns and looks at me with confusion on his face.

"Hi," I say, waving and walking past him. "I'm just playing through, as they say."

"Whatever," He shrugs, slumping down in his seat.

"Why the long face?" I ask, suddenly interested. "You look like a horse."

He rolls his eyes. "Adela is mad at me for volunteering."

"So?" I walk over to him and slap him hard across the face.

"Ow!" He exclaims, rubbing his cheek. "What was that for?"

"Pull yourself together, man!" I yell, waving my arms around in an exaggerated manor. "You have to stay strong!"

"Yeah," He nods.

"Be ready for anything!" I continue.

"Yeah!" He shouts.

"Bite someone's throat out with your teeth if you have to!" I yell.

"Yeah- Ew, no!" He grimaces.

I frown. Taking him by the chin I look him over. "Hmm…" I say thoughtfully. I pull his lip up and study his teeth before plucking out a piece of his hair and looking at it carefully. "You're not ready." I sigh. Before he can question my methods, I head into the District Eight train car.

"I don't think you're supposed to be out of your-" A twelve year old says almost the second I enter the car.

"Shut it, shorty," I snap, pushing past him.

"That wasn't very nice," An eighteen year old says, folding her arms. There is an ostrich pin on her shirt. That's not normal. But then again, who am I to judge? I ignore her and enter the District Seven car.

"Why does it feel like the most beautiful girl in the world is in this room?" Dmitri asks his District partner whose name I don't remember. She blushes badly. Of course, I just can't pass up an opportunity to ruin the moment.

"Because I walked in!" I say loudly. He jumps in surprise and I grin. "Come on, pretty boy, don't jump out of your clothes! Or actually, now that I think about it, feel free to."

"What are _you_ doing here?" His partner asks, a little pissed off. I smirk.

"Just scouting around, baby doll," I smile, walking up to a still shocked Dmitri and pecking him on the cheek. I think his little girlfriend may blow a fuse. I shrug. "I'm leaving anyway. See ya, sweet cheeks," I say to Dmitri before heading into the District Six car.

"You there," The Marcella girl says, pointing at an Avox. "Fetch me a drink. And you get me some eggplant parmesan." Kestrel sits in a booth, rubbing his temple and glaring out the window. Ignoring miss fancy pants, I slide into the seat next to Kestrel.

"Hello there," I smile. He frowns back at me, his haunting eyes narrowed. "What's the matter, bird boy?" I ask. "You look sad."

"Go away," He growls.

"Come now, we all now that your sister is legend." I say and continue in a whisper. "We'd make a good team, don't you think? You and I. _I_ can see it. Can _you_?"

"Get away from me." He snaps, pushing me out of the seat. Falling on my butt, I quickly stand and brush off the dirt.

"Your sister would have said yes…" I mutter as I walk away.

"Don't you dare compare me to her!" He yells and I duck out just in time to miss getting hit in the head with a glass cup. It shatters against the wall instead and I laugh a little as I reach District Five.

"Hello," I wave to the two tributes who sit across from each other in chairs, talking. "Goodbye," I say as I walk out.

District Four is relatively quiet, with Stella sitting at the window and Clay staring at a leather bracelet intently. Neither of them notices me enter and I study them carefully. They look so conflicted. But what is there to be conflicted about? Life is just a big joke after all. "Why so serious?" I ask them, leaning against a wall.

"We're thinking," Stella replies, her expression blank. I walk towards her and she tilts her head slightly as I approach. Crouching down to her eye level—you know, because she's sitting down—I stare into her light blue irises.

"You're disappointing." I sigh, before poking her in the eye.

"Ow! What was that for?" She yells.

"You're disappointing," I repeat before heading into the District Three car.

"Can we help ya, miss?" The boy, Bo, asks as I enter the car. His district partner looks up from a notebook curiously.

"I don't know, cowboy, can you?" I grin demonically and the girl narrows her eyes. I don't think she likes me very much. Good.

"I'm not a-" He begins but I cut him off.

"I'm sorry, I don't have time for this," I grumble, marching into the District Two car, hoping for something better then Picasso and Cowboy. Stepping into the car, I find the female tribute, Claudia, sitting at a booth and nibbling on tiny pastries and staring wide-eyed at Kyler who sits across from her, stabbing a lobster with his fork. It's already been reduced to a pinkish red pulp. Finally, someone I can get along with. "I'm taking this seat." I announce to Claudia. Not waiting for her reply, I grab her by the arm and pull her out of the chair, shoving her away.

"Hey!" She yelps, almost falling to the ground. I ignore her.

"Hello, Kyler," I smile.

"Hey," He says, not looking up from his stabbing.

"Let me help…" Picking up a knife, I bring it down on the lobster repeatedly, successfully severing its mutilated limbs, head and tail in a matter of seconds. Raising the blade to my lips, I lick off the pieces of flesh and swallow them, savoring the taste.

"Lindsey, right?" He says.

I nod and beam brightly at him. A grin spreads across his face as well, and my own demented glare is reflected in his gaze. "We have much to discuss."

**Tori, Age 17, District 12**

Have you ever met someone and been able to tell almost instantly that there is something wrong with them? That's what's happened with me and Altair. He scares me. There is something not right about him, something in his eyes. It's like… darkness. I could practically feel it when I shook his hand; it pulls strings in his heart and warps his mind. He is at its complete mercy. He looks so innocent, until you look into his eyes. They are wild, darting around in paranoid fear. If you look into his eyes, you can see the crazed monster that lurks within him. He reminds me of a caged animal in a way, a dangerous creature of madness trapped in the confines of reality.

The sad part is that once we enter the Games… he won't be trapped anymore.


	4. The Tribute Parade

**OMG IT'S THE TRIBUTE PARADE! In other news, I had Chile's for lunch! Lucky me! Okay, so, I know there is one tribute, maybe even two, who haven't had a POV at all. I'm working on it! I literally have a list, and am making sure that ALL the tributes at least get one POV before the Games start. Anywho, things are goin' down.**

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**Fortis, Age 18, District 11**

Animi licks my hand as I watch the world fly by. They fixed the train and we are due to arrive in the Capitol any minute. The people who approve tokens decided to allow me to take the pup with me to the Capitol, but I can't take him into the arena. Abby will probably take care of him for me while I'm gone, and she'll take him back to the District if… No, I won't think about that.

Abby left awhile ago to do some sort of mentor-like thing and since then Jade has been lightening up considerably. Its like Abby was a storm cloud and now that she's gone all of Jade's skies are clear. I don't get that girl one bit.

"So, Fortis," She says, sitting down next to me. I look up at her big brown eyes which she blinks slowly. "You seem pretty tough. A handsome guy like you surely couldn't want to be _alone_ in the arena." I don't respond, just lean against the window and gaze out at the landscape flashing by. "The wolf pup is cute. Sorry 'bout what I said earlier… when I called you wolfie."

"His name is Animi." I grumble, annoyed. She's to close to me.

"Well, he likes me," She laughs a little and I look over in surprise to see the wolf pup licking her face. She giggles and I narrow my eyes. "There it is!" She exclaims, quickly handing Animi back to me and racing to the window on the opposite side of the car. She's right. Far out across the water stands a gleaming city, its buildings all polished silver and gold—I really doubt they're actual gold and silver, but you never know—the sun glinting off the sea that surrounds it. It's beautiful. I've never seen anything more sickening in my life.

**Marcella, Age 16, District 6**

"You have beautiful hair, darling," A member of my prep team gushes, batting her oversized neon green eye lashes as she runs a comb through my hair. I sit in a cold metal chair wearing nothing but a paper sheet. It's freezing in here, so much so that I'm shivering.

"Thank you." I say quietly. Father always said that it was polite to speak quietly, and Mother never liked to hear my voice, so I grew accustomed to speaking at this volume, unless I was ordering something to be done. My prep team continues to chat amongst themselves until my stylist arrives. He's a rather tall man, with purple eyebrows and a green afro. Oh dear God. That's how he dresses _himself_. What on Earth is he going to try to put _me_ in?

"It is nice to meet you," He says, sticking out a hand with about a bazillion rings on it. I shake it tentatively and notice that his fingernails are glowing yellow, like a star. That's just not normal. "My name is Arty. Okay, Marcella, listen. District Six is the district of transportation. All the old stylists for this district dressed you up as trains and hovercrafts, and it was boring, hideous and predictable. This time, I say we switch it up a bit."

When I finish getting ready, I look great. Kind of odd, but great. I am in a tight light blue mini skirt—oh, Father would kill me if he thought I had _any_ say in what I was wearing, it's so tiny!—along with a tight light blue baby doll shirt and silver flats. My hair is done in ringlets with silver clips. I also wear silver gloves that reach between my shoulders and elbows. My makeup has been done in a way so that it not only brings out my eyes, but makes my face look paler. I think it looks kind of plain until he explains it to me. Oh, I'm going to be a hit!

Heading out into the Tribute Stables, I find my way to my chariot. Kestrel is already there, petting one of the horses and looking into its dark eyes, seemingly lost in his thoughts. "Hey," I say walking up. He looks up calmly and blinks a bit. "What?"

"Nothing," He says, turning back to his horse. He's in an outfit like mine, except he's in shorts instead of a skirt, obviously. I look him up and down. He's rather fit, but not exactly muscular. If you look at it, his face is actually rather handsome. "What are you staring at?" He asks, not looking up.

"I'm sorry," I squeak out quickly, blushing and dropping my gaze. "I forgot it's not polite to stare. Sorry."

"Whatever," He shrugs. I tilt my head to the side. He's not like Peregrine. She was emotionless, impartial, uncaring. He has feelings; I can practically see them in his eyes. They aren't good ones, though. He's full of anger and aggression. In fact… he scares me.

**Azalea, Age 13, District 5**

"Hey!" I hear Alo shout as I walk into the Tribute Stables. Several people look over to see what he's yelling about, including me. He points to me and I feel my heart jump. "Look! It's Tinker Bell!" Everyone laughs. I blush badly and feel a rock forming in my stomach, cold and hard, eating up all of my little happiness. He's right, I look hideous. I always do. I feel a hand rest on my shoulder.

"Alo," Jake says, his eyes saying he wants to rip the twin apart but his smile saying it was all in good fun. Apparently I was the only one who could see the look in his eyes. "You really shouldn't be talking, considering you currently look like a giant bowl of grits threw up on you!" It was true. Alo was covered in little some weird sort of material that ended up looking an afoul lot like the grainy breakfast food. It was actually really disgusting.

"Whatever," Alo snorts, folding his arms and turning his back on us in annoyance.

"Its okay, Jake," I say before trotting over to Alo's side and smiling at him sympathetically. His sister hasn't arrived yet so he's standing alone at his chariot, looking angry and bored. He glances at me, surprised I came over. "At least you don't look like a cell phone tower." I'm dressed in a black jumpsuit with power line-looking strings all over it, flashes of light running through them randomly.

"Yeah? Well, _you_ aren't the one who looks like pulverized popcorn." He smirks.

"Pixie, you there?" I hear Jake call for me.

"Be there in a sec!" I yell back. I turn around to face Alo again. "See you around, grits boy."

He grins. "See you, Tinker Bell."

**Adela, Age 15, District 9**

I hate my costume. I'm in a miniskirt, along with a top that doesn't even reach my belly button. The fabric was designed to look exactly like grits. This is just _peachy_. That was sarcasm, if you didn't catch it. I walk to meet my brother at our chariot. I'm not that angry at him anymore, it sort of wore off, but I still think he made a mistake by volunteering. Now, at least one of us is guaranteed to die… if not both.

"We're out of sugar cubes," I hear a young voice say from the District Eight chariot. Picking up some of the sugar cubes left for our horses I walk over to find the only twelve year old kid in this year's Hunger Games looking a little nervous.

"Here, you can have some of ours," I say, handing them to him.

"Thank you," He says, and I can't help but smile. His year, the District Eight tributes have been dressed in pants and shirts made from thousands of different patches of fabric. They look like poor clowns, but it looks cute on the little kid, I suppose. At least they have a better costume them me.

**Claudia, Age 18, District 2**

"How do I look?" Kyler asks, appearing beside me. I'm in a dress covered in thousands of little rocks, along with a tiara covered in the stones as well. I've never worn _anything_ this heavy. It has to add, like, thirty pounds. Along with that, we each have a hammer we are going to be holding up the entire time. I am going to be _so_ sore tomorrow.

"Fine," I reply blankly. He's in a sort of suit that looks just like my dress. Just being around Kyler makes me nervous, but of course I don't show it. I have an image to keep up. But, he's not sane. There is something seriously wrong with him. "There is, um, something on your hands…"

"Oh?" He holds up his palms.

"Is that blood?" I ask, tilting my head to the side, while my heart is doing summersaults in my chest.

"Yeah," He says as if it's nothing. He wipes his hands off on the nearest horse and it tries to bite him but can't reach. "The stylist was getting on my nerves."

I blink. "Oh."

**Clay, Age 18, District 4**

"Wow," I say, walking up to my chariot. "You do realize that bikini is, like, five sizes too small for you, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Stella grumbles, leaning against the side of the chariot, her expression blank. She is in a light blue bikini, her hair up in a ponytail. She holds a light blue trident and a light blue tiara. I'm in matching swim trunks, wearing a blue crown and carrying a trident as well. I'm right; the bikini they put her in is incredibly tiny, barely hiding anything. "Apparently, the crowd will like it."

"The _guys_ in the crowd, that is." I mutter. My stylist explained to me what she and a few other stylists were doing. A crown or tiara was a sign that that person was a Career. Heartless killers with a lust for blood, as Careers always seem to be. No one besides the stylists, the mentors, and the tributes in the Career alliance know this. What they are hoping for is that the crowd will catch on and bet more on those of us with crowns and tiaras. It's supposed to be like a guarantee that we will do well. I'm just not so sure if I can live up to that.

**Oak, Age 17, District 1**

"Well, someone looks nervous," I say, leaping up onto the chariot next to Monroe. She's in an off-the-shoulder purple dress, covered in tiny gems that catch the light. She doesn't look up, but keeps her eyes focused on the stables doors we will soon be going out of. "What's up?" She turns, settling her eyes on me, and narrows her eyes. "Wait… you don't have a tiara."

"No," She says in her soft voice.

"B-but…" I stumble, trying to find the words. I'm almost never at a loss of things to say, but this seems to be one of those times. Well… my stylist never actually said not to tell the other tributes. She just kind of hinted at it… Oh well! "But, they are a symbol of the Career alliance… How… how could you not…?"

"I'm not _in_ the Career alliance." She replies calmly.

"But," I begin. I'm wearing a purple suit, bedazzled just like her dress, my gem-covered crown sitting on the top of my head. "You're the girl from District One. How could you not be in it? It's, like, a rule or something!"

"It's not a rule." She says. "I don't want to be in it." I think that was the most I've ever heard her say.

"But if you aren't in it, I'll have to kill you." I realize. She shrugs. "Monroe… I don't want to hurt you."

"I don't want a lot of things…" She whispers. "That doesn't mean they don't happen." I just stare at her for a minute. Glancing upward, I find a clock counting down to the launch. We're going in exactly one minute.

"Look, I don't want you to get hurt," I say. I glance around, searching for inspiration.

"Oak-" She begins but I cut her off.

"Take mine," I say. She opens her mouth to say something but just closes it as I take the crown off my own head and place it on hers. "Look, if you don't wear that, you are going to be on the top of the hit list. They already know that I'm in the alliance, I'll be fine. I'll just say my stylist thought it clashed with my eyes or something. Take it." She doesn't have time to argue as the lights flicker off and we are being wheeled into the blinding light.

**Kestrel, Age 18, District 6**

I glance over at my stylist and she nods, grinning. Pulling some sort remote out of her pocket, she hits a button. A cool spray hits my shoulders and the same thing happens to my ankles. There is an odd hissing sound as the District Five chariot pulls out, and then we are moving. I glance behind me to find it working. District Six is the District of transportation. Our costumes were designed to leave a trail of mist behind us as we ride, looking exactly like the trails of smoke that the Capitol's hovercrafts leave behind. District Seven doesn't look very happy about it, considering the fact that they get the fog obscuring their faces every five seconds. I shrug. Why should I care?

I glance over at Marcella. Her arms are stretched upward and she is letting out a series of whoops, smiling broadly, her hair flowing in the wind. She confuses me. She acts so uptight and snobby, yet right now she looks like the happiest, go-with-the-flow kind of girl I've ever seen. Hmph. I'll never understand women.

Looking up at the flat screens hanging on the side of the Capitol buildings, I find myself reflected on the TVs all around us. The mist billows out behind me in the breeze, wisps swirling and twirling in the wind. I keep my expression blank and emotionlessly. For that is the key to the Games, after all. Emotionless.

**Aries, Age 17, District 10**

I'm not really used to this. The attention, the expensive things… I swore to leave them all behind, after all. I haven't been near any of them since I was fourteen, when I left my dad to live on the streets. He was rich, I could have had everything I ever wanted… except freedom. I was a coward for running away like that, I'll admit it. But… I can't go back.

"Free steaks for everyone!" Lydia shouts. Picking up two slabs of raw meat from her pile, she tosses them into the crowd, the blood and juice splattering a few Capitol citizens. She is in a black dress, with a puffy skirt that reaches her knees, black flats and a white blood-splattered apron. Don't worry, that was the work of the stylists since we are the livestock District. The crown on her head is crooked, leaning slightly to the left. It's black, which matches her outfit, but I don't know why she has one and I don't. As if she can hear my thoughts, she turns to me and winks. "Aphrodite, that is for me to know, and you to die trying to figure out."

**Lark, District 3, Age 15**

"I don't like all this attention…" I say quietly. We are both in black leotards that reach from our necks to our feet. Out in the dark night, they glow and twinkle, beams of light zipping around randomly. It resembles a computer, I suppose, but I think we look more like a fireworks display. "Besides, I look horrible…"

"Ya look beautiful, Lark," Bo whispers back.

"Is that an observation?" I ask.

"No," He replies. I blink, a little confused. "It's a promise."


	5. Training Day One

***Bounces up and down excitedly* New The Kill chapter! Yay! When you read Eden's POV, tell me, do you think it's sad and emotional, or do you just think it's time-wasting and pointless? The second paragraph, that is. Because, I've watched stuff from people who survived the Holocaust and whatnot and they always talk about how they would think back to simple mornings at home and things like that, so I tried it. Tell me what you think! Also, you are going to see a lot of the Careers in this chapter. That is mostly because they are a pretty big group this year, and they are a whole lot more functioning then last year. Ha, remember the Careers in Quiet Like the Snow? Good times, good times. Okay, so I was having some issues writing this, so in your review, I'd like you guys to tell me which characters you'd like to see talking and interacting, and if you have any ideas PLEASE SEND THEM TO ME!**

**Oh, you may have noticed that I took down the first chapter, the one with the tribute form. Don't worry, you aren't going crazy! Actually most of you are already crazy :P but I took it down because I don't want this story to get removed! And, besides, its' not like we were using it for anything. Okay, also, I don't know if I've said this or not, but I already have the arena picked out. I've had the arena picked out since before you guys even started sending me tributes. Yeah. Does it have anything to do with the song? Um... a little. Like, so little that it's barely noticeable. So, I suggest you guys go listen to the song, eat some strawberry ice cream, and try to guess what the arena is going to be! I enjoy listening to you guys fail epically :P So, if you _do_ guess it right... um... when we get to the Bloodbath chapter I'll list the people who guessed the arena right. Yep. You have any time between now and the bloodbath chapter to guess! Good luck with that!**

**Lastly, I apoligize for anything that Lindsey, Dmitri or Kyler may or may not say. **

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**Eden, Age 15, District 7**

I sit in the knot tying station, watching my fingers mindlessly twirling the ropes, not really attempting to do anything with them. I can't help but lose myself in my mind, my thoughts and fantasies reverberating through my head. I swallow back tears as I remember what life was like only a few days ago, back at home on the day before the Reaping.

It had been… a simple morning… the rising sun lighting up the dew on all of the plants and casting long shadows across the grass. My mother stood at the table, shuffling her things together as she did every morning, her wavy hair tied up in a messy bun and her blouse slightly wrinkled. My father sat on the other side of the table, drinking his coffee and watching his wife with a slight smile. I had made the coffee for him that morning. Mother never drank it; she always said that it would turn your teeth yellow. She always did have the most beautiful teeth. My little sister, Raina, sat next to me on the floor, the two of us rolling dice, trying to call out what numbers they would land on. I was keeping track. Raina had guessed correctly five times, me three. She always was better then me at those games. Mother told us she had to head to work, but there was breakfast for us out on the kitchen counter. She worked at the library. I would go with her some days and sit amongst the piles of books for hours, flipping through the pages and losing myself in their words. It was like heaven for me. Father, Raina and I bid mother farewell and we continued on about our usual activities, Father pulling out a newspaper and Raina and I continuing our never ending war of dice.

I never realized how much I loved mornings like those… until now. I will probably never see Mother again. Not Father or Raina either. Days like those seem so long ago now… they feel like a lifetime away. I want nothing more then to go back to them, to a time when the Hunger Games was just something that wouldn't happen to me. It was just something that happened to other people. Or at least that was how I always saw it. It felt impossible for me to get chosen. Look how wrong I was.

**Sigmund, Age 12, District 8**

I can feel Claudia staring at me, her eyes burning holes in the back of my head as I sit at the camouflage station. Surely she knows that I can tell she's staring. I confuse her. That much I know. After all, why would a twelve year old kid from an outlying district volunteer for the Games? Because, if he didn't his mother would never love him.

"Hello," I jump as someone slides into the chair beside me. It's the girl from Five. I don't remember her actual name, just that everyone calls her Pixie.

"Hi…" I mutter.

"Why did you volunteer?" She blurts, turning to me, her blue-green eyes wide with curiosity.

"My mother will only love me if I am a victor." I say honestly after hesitating. "She says the Hunger Games bring _pride_ and _honor_ to our district."

"But…" She says. "Doesn't a mother love their child no matter what?"

"They are supposed to." I say tensely.

"What about your father?"

"Dead." I shrug.

"That's horrible!" She exclaims.

"I guess," I nod. "I never really knew him. He died when I was very young."

"That's sad…" She murmurs. She brightens up a bit, sticking out her hand. I flinch at the sudden movement, but she doesn't seem to notice. "My name is Azalea, but most people just call me Pixie."

"I'm Sigmund," I say, shaking her hand slowly. "But, I'd prefer if you call me Siggy."

"Awesome name," She smiles. I grin back but it fades as I remember that she has to die for me to live.

**Abrielle, Age 15, District 11 Mentor**

"You're Abrielle," A hear a quiet voice say behind me.

"Yes," I reply, turning away from the drink table with Kane in my arms. "Who is-" I cut off abruptly as I find him standing behind me, his hair casting shadows over his face, his ice blue eyes glinting from the darkness. His expression is emotionless.

"I'm Kestrel," He says softly.

"Y-you're Peregrine's little brother…" I murmur. This is _not_ good. A rock is forming in my stomach just at the sight of this kid. But, you know, I don't really have the right to call him that. He's three years older then me, and four inches taller. I'm going to be honest. He scares me. It's like… the ghosts of my past have come back to haunt me. Peregrine is one of the two people I killed in my Hunger Games, and the only one I actually feel bad about killing. And her brother is standing right here in front of me, staring at me with the exact same icy gaze that she had.

"Yes," He nods. "You killed my sister."

"Kestrel," I begin. "I am so sorry about Peregrine. I really didn't want to hurt her, but you have to understand that I had to, for the sake of my baby. I-"

"Don't apologize," He interrupts me. I blink. "My sister dying was the best thing that has ever happened to me. Thank you."

**Kyler, Age 17, District 2**

I bring my arm back and then snap it forward, watching as the spear impales itself into the life-sized human-shaped targets. I smile, imagining blood dripping from the wound, the victim screaming in pain. I take a long breath through my nose. I can practically smell the death that hangs over this place, the Training Center. I love it.

"Nice throw," Lindsey says, appearing beside me. "I prefer knives myself." Pulling knife after knife out of her dagger-lined belt, she goes down the line, hitting perfect marks in both the head and the heart of seven different targets. I beam happily and we laugh at the horror-stricken faces of the tributes watching. Oh, what fun we have together!

**Tori, Age 17, District 12**

I can see Altair looking around the Training Center, his eye twitching, so I quickly duck into Snares and almost fall over Fortis, who is kneeling on the ground working on a basic trap. He barely glances at me as I fall over in my attempt to not trip over him or step on anything while already being off balance at the same time.

"Sorry," I say immediately, propping myself up on my elbows. "I'm not usually clumsy like this." He shrugs and I clear my throat awkwardly. "My name is Tori." He doesn't say anything. "Um, what's yours?"

"Fortis," He growls in reply, not taking his eyes off his snare. I knew this already, but I'm just trying to avoid awkward silences. I hate awkward silences. Suddenly, a fuzzy face comes out of no where and a puppy rushes towards me, leaping onto my stomach and licking my face. I laugh and the puppy gives out a little _yip_.

"What's his name?" I giggle as the puppy continues to cover me in slobber. I don't mind. I love dogs.

"Animi," Fortis replies.

"He's so cute!" I exclaim, scratching the little thing behind the ears.

"He likes you," Fortis says, one of the smallest smiles I have ever seen creeping on his face. It's barely visible at all.

"I'm glad," I grin. "I'd hate to get on _his_ bad side. He looks like a real killer!"

"Oh, yeah," Fortis chuckles. "He's _real_ deadly."

"Well," I say after awhile, standing and gently placing Animi back on the ground. "It was nice meeting you."

I turn to walk away, and I could have sworn I heard Fortis say, "It was nice meeting you, too, Tori."

**Clay, Age 18, District 4**

"Hey handsome," Jade says seductively, walking over to me and wrapping her arms around my neck. What the heck…? "I must say, I've never seen a guy as gorgeous as you."

"I have a girlfriend," I say honestly. I miss Alanna, she's all of been thinking of. I'm going to be back to her and my family. I have to.

"Dang it," Jade growls, taking her hands off me and backing up a few steps. "My name is Jade, by the way. See you around, Clay."

"Um… see you around?" I scrunch my eyebrows, the sentence coming out as more of a question. She gives a little wave before trotting off to go bother some other poor guy. What just happened?

"Hey, Clay Face, come here," Lindsey waves me over to where she and Kyler stand. I sigh. I cannot believe I'm going to be in an alliance with that maniac. The same thing goes for her new best friend. They are both insane!

"What?" I ask, crossing my arms.

"Who do you think will scream the most when we kill them," Lindsey says as if this is a totally normal question. "Birdie, Pixie or Monroe Your Boat?"

"Who?" I'm confused.

"Lark, Azalea or Monroe," Lindsey sighs.

"Oh," I say, feeling a little stupid. "Wait, isn't Monroe in the alliance, though?"

"Yeah," Kyler shrugs, finally speaking up. "So?"

"The meaning of an alliance is to _not_ kill each other." I reply, feeling like I'm talking to Kindergarteners. "You know, so you can live longer…"

"Come on, Clay Face, we're not crazy," Lindsey says. After that last part, her and Kyler exchange glances. They laugh hysterically for a few seconds before they turn dead serious again. "We all know that Monroe wasn't supposed to be in the Career alliance. Oaky Dokey just gave her his crown so we'd _think_ she was in the alliance."

"No," I say, even though I know it's true. Lindsey smiles and tilts her head to the side, signaling for me to continue, while Kyler narrows her eyes. I clear my throat. God, this girl is going to owe me one. "She's supposed to be in the alliance. My stylist told me so."

"Then why didn't Oak have a crown, genius?" Kyler asks, crossing his arms and leaning towards me questioningly.

"A horse threw up on it," I lie, shrugging. "Would you have worn a crown with horse vomit on it?"

"Yes," Kyler and Lindsey both say instantly.

"Umm…" I grumble, scratching the back of my head. "Well, normal people wouldn't." I hold my breath for a moment waiting to see how they react. After several seconds of nerve-racking silence they burst out laughing and I sigh in relief. I really thought they were going to murder me for a second there. It wouldn't surprise me if they did.

"You're alright, kid," Kyler chuckles even though I'm a year older then him, slapping me on the back.

"Come on, Clay Face," Lindsey giggles, grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me away. "You _have_ to show me how to use a trident." That seems a little cliché, doesn't it? Then she'll really seem like the devil.

**Jade, Age 18, District 11**

"Tributes," A female voice says smoothly over an intercom. "Please report to the cafeteria for your scheduled eating period." By that, I am assuming she means lunch. Who talks like that anyway? I roll my eyes. Whoever that was, she's probably some stuck up, pompous Capitol freak.

The lunch room is simple, much like a school lunch room, actually, with pale walls and grey tile floors, food spread out buffet style across a long countertop and round tables scattered throughout the room, four blue plastic chairs sitting around each one. I'm one of the first ones here. I rush into the line, grabbing an apple, a bowl of macaroni and cheese, and a juice box before going to sit down at a table. I watch the others file in. Lindsey and Kyler literally push through the line, snatching up all the meat they can before the Capitol people snap at them to leave some for the other tributes. Lindsey actually growls at them. She, Kyler, Claudia and Clay sit down at a table in the very center of the room. Stella quickly pulls up a chair in between Clay and Claudia, while Oak and Monroe are still in the line. I glance around. Is anyone going to sit by me? I doubt it. In school, I have a group of guys that I usually hang out with and they sit with me, but there don't seem to be any boys here who like me. And girls are not an option. I hate girls. Why? Because _they_ hate _me_ from almost the moment they see me. I don't really know why. Even when they don't know about my line of work, they still loathe me instantly. I try to tell myself it's because they're jealous of me, but that doesn't really go over well in my head.

"Hello!" Pixie says cheerily, randomly sitting down in the chair besides me. The universe just loves proving me wrong, doesn't it?

"Um, hi," I say slowly, watching her curiously. Is she serious about sitting here?

"My name is Azalea," She says merrily sticking her hand out. "You can call me Pixie, if you want."

"Hi, Pixie," I say, shaking her tiny hand. "I'm Jade."

"Oh, I know," She smiles and I blink questioningly. "I loved your chariot outfit; it looked so good on you!"

"Oh, thanks," I smile nervously, remembering the dress I had been in. It had been genius, really, made of woven and braided vines and covered in stunning flowers and grape vines. My hair had been left hanging, but beautiful blossoms and leaves had been clipped in. I _did_ look spectacular in that.

"Did you see Siggy in the weight lifting station?" Jacob, her district partner, laughs, sitting down on my other side. Where are all these people coming from? "The poor little kid couldn't lift a thing!"

"Well, yeah, he's the only twelve-year-old hear." Pixie says. "But be nice to him, he's sweet."

"You talked to him?" Jake asks. I feel kind of cut out of this conversation. I would have been flirting with Jake by now, it's a habit that I can't really control, but since Pixie is only thirteen, I'll try to repress the urge.

"Yeah, he's a bit jumpy," Pixie replies. "But he's nice."

"Hmm," Jake scratches his chin. "Would he be good in an alliance?"

"I don't know," Pixie admits.

"Um, hello," I say loudly. "I'm still here. What are you two talking about?"

"Oh, sorry, I forgot you didn't know about this yet!" Pixie chirps before Jake gets a chance to even open his mouth. "Jake and I are in an alliance and we had this awesome idea. Wouldn't we get a lot further as tributes if we had a really big alliance? So that's why we are sitting over here, you know, because we were wondering if you'd like to be in it!" Man, that girl talks fast.

"You weren't supposed to tell her that yet!" Jake face palms.

"Oops," Pixie frowns, but then brightens up again. "Oh well!"

"Um…" I pull a piece of gum out of my pocket and start chewing on it. Strawberry flavored. Nice. "I'll think about it."

**Jennifer, Age 18, District 8**

"Here, you can sit with me," I tell Siggy as he glances around for a place to sit. He smiles at me gratefully before sitting down. We sit there in silence for awhile, just eating our food. This situation is _never_ something I would have thought would happen. I'm sitting in the cafeteria of the Training Center for the Hunger Games, next to one of my quietest students—who volunteered. "Siggy-"

"Why did I volunteer?" He guesses. I nod. "Well…" He looks off into the distance for a moment before turning back to me. "My mother wanted me to."

"What?" I ask, confused. "_Why_? Why would she want her own son to go to the Hunger Games? And at such a young age! It doesn't make any sense…"

"It does to her." He replies, not looking at me. I don't understand. Look at the Careers. They could hurt him so badly. And what about the arena? What is that going to be like? He won't survive in there for long, for sure, not at his age. What kind of monster would sentence her son to death like that?

**Monroe, Age 15, District 1**

"Oak, I don't want to," I whisper, crossing my arms.

"You have to," He persists. "We have to keep up the illusion that you are one of us!"

"If you keep making me do things with you, I _will_ be one of you!" I hiss, hating that he's making me argue with him.

"Is that such a bad thing?" He asks.

"Yes," I growl.

"Look," He says firmly. "If you don't come with me to sit at the table, they'll know you aren't one of us. And if you aren't one of us, then you are on the menu for the bloodbath. Do you want that, Monroe? Do you want to die?"

"I'd rather die then be with you." I hiss. He looks hurt but I force myself to ignore it, picking up my tray and stomping off to the last empty table. I bet the Gamemakers planned it so that there wouldn't be enough tables for all of the tributes to get their own. They want us to interact.

"Can I sit here?" A voice says behind me. I jump slightly. I didn't hear him approaching.

"Yes," I tell Kestrel quietly. He sits down across from me, brushing a strand of black hair out of his starling eyes.

"Aren't you going to eat more then that?" He asks me suddenly. I only have an apple and a bottle of water. His expression is blank, but I can hear in his voice that he does have emotions. Somewhere.

"No," I shake my head. "I'm not worth that much food."

"Don't be so fast to sell yourself short." He says. I look up at him, surprised by this advice. "You're worth more then you give yourself credit for. Here," He takes a ham sandwich off his plate, putting it on mine. "I'm a vegetarian anyway."

"You don't even know me," I whisper, furrowing my brow questioningly but not looking at him.

"True," He nods. "But you can tell a lot from people's eyes. And yours are innocent. You don't deserve to go hungry… and you don't deserve to have to stare at the floor, either." He reaches out and places his hand under my chin, gently tilting my head up until I'm looking straight into his stunning eyes. He's right. You can tell a lot about a person from their eyes.

"Thank you," I breathe.

He looks off at the wall, obviously thinking hard about something. I can't help but wonder what. "You're welcome."

**Altair, Age 15, District 12**

I twitch. Of course no one came to sit with me. Why would they? I'm a freak, an outcast. I prefer to be by myself anyway. Or do I? I really don't know. Sometimes I think one thing, something the exact opposite. There is no telling how I'll feel one moment from the next, really. It scares a lot of people. It used to scare me, too. Or at least… I think it did. Maybe it didn't? I don't have the best memory, after all. I twitch. I watch everyone from the seat I picked in the corner. No one is watching me. They wouldn't waste their time. They think I'm not threat; I'm just a helpless fifteen-year-old with a doomed life. They are probably right. What can I do anyways? I'm not a killer. I could never hurt a fly. It's horrible to even _think_ about hurting something. I'm probably just going to be another bloodbather, another person history forgets about.

**Lindsey, Age 16, District 10**

"No, I think it would be easier to snap Piggy's neck," I shrug, glancing at Siggy. "The kid is skinnier then an anorexic chick on Weight Watchers."

"True, true," Kyler nods, sipping tea. "What about Bird Boy, though?"

"Kestrel is a threat," Oak says, pulling up a seat in between Kyler and I since it's the only space left. He looks especially ticked off.

"What's the matter, Oaky Dokey?" I ask, tilting my head. I look over to see Monroe sitting with Kestrel. "Bird Boy stole your toy?"

"What are you…?" Oak trails off, turning around to see Kestrel softly pushing Monroe's chin up until she was looking at him. "Why that little twerp…" He spats.

"You seem tense," I smile at him innocently and he looks up, fuming. "I take it you want killing rights?"

"Um…" He turns around again to look at Kestrel, his eyes narrowed. Monroe is looking at Kestrel with caring eyes. Oak faces us again, looking ready to rip the Bird Boy's throat out. "Yes, Lindsey, I do. When we get into the arena… I kill Kestrel."

I grin. "Okey dokey."

**Bo, Age 16, District 3**

"The Careers are dangerous," Lark says, sitting down across from me.

"Observation?" I ask.

"Yep," She nods. "We're going to have to stay away from them once we get into the arena."

"We?" I blink. We never really clarified if we were in an alliance or not. I… I don't know where I stand on that topic.

"Yes," She nods. "Aren't we… I don't know… allies? At least?" _At least?_ What does she mean by that? Does she mean…? Nah, she doesn't mean she wants me to be her boyfriend… right?

"Err…" I scratch my head. "Do ya wanna be?" She thinks for a moment.

"Yes,"

"Okay," I nod. "Allies."

**Stella, Age 17, District 4**

Lunch ends, thankfully, and I head to the archery station. I'm good at archery, it's my best weapon. That's why I'm going to have to show the Gamemakers how good I am with a bow, so there will definitely be one in the arena. They don't always have them, so I'm a bit anxious about it.

"Dang, girl, I bet everyone rushes to _your_ cornucopia!" I hear someone say behind me. Whirling around, I find myself barely centimeters away from Dmitri, the boy from District Seven.

"Can I help you?" I ask emotionlessly.

"Yes," He nods and I blink, a little surprised. "I wanted to tell you not to worry about what training score you get. If I was a gamemaker, I'd give you a sixty-nine."

"That's nice," I grumble, turning back to the rows of bows, trying to decide which one I like best. I squeak in surprise as I feel Dmitri's arms wrap around my waist and his chin rest on my shoulder.

"You know," He says slowly, his breath billowing against my ear. "I think we should start the games early so I can put my supplies in your cornucopia. That is, as long as there isn't a bloodbath there." I roll my eyes before I ram my elbow into his face. He lets go of me in surprise and I bring my foot down hard on his. He yelps and hops away.

"You think we should do something?" I hear one of the peacekeepers nearby ask the peacekeeper next to her. The other one thinks for a moment, brushing her blonde hair out of her face.

"I'll let it slide."

**Marcella, Age 16, District 6**

I blow hard, and a poison dart shoots out of the shaft of my blow gun. It hits a perfect target. I smile. Finally, a weapon I can work with! I tried archery this morning and I almost shot a peacekeeper. When I tried knives I almost cut my finger off. So, yeah, training isn't going so well for me. Until now, that is. These blow darts are easy and fast to load, simple to aim and are pretty easy to hold and carry. You don't have to worry about accidentally shooting yourself while you're walking. I glance over at the Swords Station to see Jacob from District Five cut the heads off two dummies, stab one in the gut and slice off the arms over another. Yeah… I might need to practice some more.

**Dmitri, Age 15, District 7**

"I saw you, you know," Eden says, standing besides me at the Edible Insects Station.

"Saw me _what_?" I ask, my stomach tying itself in knots. I really hope she doesn't mean what I think she means.

"You flirting with Stella," She does mean what I think she means.

"That wasn't flirting," I say, trying to laugh as if the idea is ridiculous. I don't think it worked to well.

"You wrapped your arms around her and said you wanted to put your supplies in her cornucopia if there wasn't a bloodbath in there." She says blankly. Anger fills her eyes. "What does that sound like to you, Dmitri? A friendly conversation? With a _Career_, nonetheless!" She spits out the word like its poison in her mouth.

"I was trying to get on her good side…" I mumble, staring at my feet.

"Right, because that was all you were trying to do!" She retorts. She sighs and folds her arms. "I don't mean to be like this, alright? But I thought… I thought you liked _me_…"

"I do," I say honestly.

"Then what were you doing with her?" The questions stings, because it's a good one. A good one that… I don't have an answer to.


	6. Training Day Two

**Yay new chapter! Let's see... we have some foreshadowing going on in here. Some a little more obvious then others. I'd like to think that this is the chapter where you really start to get to know some of the tributes, like really get to know them. Trust me, you'll see what I mean. Alliances are forming and people are getting more anxious. What will happen next? *looks off in random direction dramatically like they do on bad TV shows***

**Stuff's about to go down.**

* * *

**Bo, Age 16, District 3**

"So, you just aim and pull this trigger…" The instructor says, showing me how to use a crossbow. "And then your enemy is gonna get a face full of arrow. Go ahead, give it a try."

"Alright," I nod. I hold the crossbow like he showed me, making sure to keep both my eyes open. I look down the row at the target standing at the end, the bull's eye I want. I take a deep breath and pull the trigger. I watch as the arrow _whooshes_ through the air before hitting a perfect target. I smile.

"Wow," Jade say, appearing beside me. "That's impressive. I'm Jade." She says, turning to me and holding out her hand, biting her lip and twirling her hair through her fingers with her other hand.

"It's nice to meet ya, miss," I say. "I'm Bo."

"Handsome name for a handsome man." She says, taking a step closer. I blush, leaning away from her a little, and she smiles. "Don't be shy. I-"

"Hey!" Lark's voice snaps Jade's head up instantly, both of them wearing pretty pissed off expressions. Oh boy. "Jade, would you mind taking your little seduction party somewhere else?" She says, protectively stepping in front of me and crossing her arms.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Jade scowls. "I didn't know that Bo had a guard dog."

"Ha, funny," Lark says sarcastically. "I know that your birth certificate is an apology from the condom factory, but that doesn't mean you have to take your anger out on everyone else."

"You're one to talk!" Jade retorts. "You must have been born on a highway. After all, that _is_ where most accidents happen."

"Gals, do ya really have ta-" I begin to say, but Lark cuts me off as if I hadn't even been speaking.

"Well, Jade, if you _really_ want him _that_ badly, you can have him!" Lark says, grabbing me by the shoulder and shoving me forward.

"Um, wha-" I'm confused.

"Just tell me how my leftovers taste, k?" Lark smiles darkly.

"Hey!" I complain, but get ignored.

"And how long did it take you to come up with that one?" Jade rolls her eyes. I vaguely hear Dmitri making hissing noises in the background. "Don't think, sweetie, you might hurt yourself."

"Oh, don't _thank_ me for insulting you." Lark says. "It was my pleasure."

"I know how hard you're trying," Jade nods. "But you'll never look _half_ good as me. It would take a lot more money, which, of course, you don't have since your parents are already spending all of their money trying to find a cure for your mental illness."

"Cute," Lark grins. "But I have to ask… as an outsider, what do you think of the human race?"

"You know," Jade says slowly over her shoulder, walking off. "I'm going to leave. I don't want to insult you. After all, it's Be Nice to Animals Day." She blows a kiss to me and I think Lark may explode.

"That little… ug!" Lark growls before glancing at me. "No offense about the leftovers thing."

I shrug. "None taken."

**Monroe, Age 15, District 1**

"And, it's going to be a _really_ big alliance," Pixie continues, speaking quickly. "And we'd have a much better chance of surviving longer that way, don't you think?"

"I guess," I nod.

"And I know that you've been having trouble with the Careers and all," She says. "But if you were with us we'd be able to protect you from them, so, yeah!" She beams at me, hands proudly on her hips, obviously awaiting my response.

"Umm…" I rub my arm, glancing around the Training Center. My eyes land on Kestrel at the hammocks station. I turn back to Pixie. "Can I get back to you on that?"

"Sure," She nods energetically. I brush past her and pad over to where Kestrel is trying to make a hammock, which currently just looks like a giant knot. He looks like he's going to implode with frustration.

"Kestrel?" I say tentatively, taking a step towards him. He looks up, anger in his eyes, but when he sees me he grows emotionless again.

"Monroe," He says, dipping his head to me before going back to his attempt at a hammock.

"Umm…" I say slowly, staring at my feet. "Can… can I ask you… something?" He looks up at me, signaling for me to continue. "Pixie was just telling me… about this big alliance she's trying to make… and, um, she wants me to be in it. Thing is, I-"

"You don't want to be in it alone." He guesses.

"Yeah," I sigh, looking at my shoes before glancing back up at him. His eyes are closed and he's breathing deeply, clearly thinking hard. I swallow nervously.

"Alright," He says after several agonizing moment.

"Alright…?" I trail off, making it a question.

"I'll go with you." He says and I can't help but smile. "On one condition." My smile fades a little, I think.

"Yes?" I ask, confused.

"I'm with you at all times." He says simply, expressionless. I blink, confused. Why would he want that? "I know that everyone here sees me as a threat. They see you as a threat, too, since you're from a Career district. I don't care about that. But I don't trust them not to attack us if we're separated."

"Oh," I say. I suppose it makes sense. "Is… is that it?" He hesitates.

"Yes," He says.

"An alliance inside of an alliance," I murmur, not sure what to say.

"Do you trust me?" He asks. I look up at him, his powerful features and his startling eyes. I think for a moment.

"Yes," I whisper.

"Then we have an agreement." He stands and holds out his hand for me to shake, but for once I ignore it, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face in his shirt, my body pressed up against his. He tenses for a moment before allowing himself to relax, placing his arms uncertainly around me as well. I can barely feel them; they're as light as the feathers of the bird for which he was named. He shakes slightly, nervously, as if he thinking I'm going to hurt him. It's almost like he's never had a hug before.

"I'm scared," I admit. He doesn't say anything for a long time but when he does, the words are quiet and soft, gentle even.

"Don't be. I'll keep you safe. I promise."

**Oak, Age 16, District 1**

I lean against the drink table watching through narrowed eyes as she goes to talk to Kestrel. What does she see in him anyway? He doesn't even have emotions. He'll never care about her. Not like I do. I pick up a glass of water and sip out of it as she continues to talk to him. I can't hear them from here since both of them speak so quietly. But I can see the way she looks at him. She looked at me that way, for awhile. Not anymore, though. I was just trying to keep her safe! I just want what's best for her. And what is best for her is definitely not _him_.

Then she hugs him, her face lost somewhere in his embrace. The motion knocks the breath out of me for a moment and I temporarily don't believe it. _No_. I grit my teeth and feel the glass in my hand shatter, shards flying in different directions. Scarlet liquid mixes with water and drips to the floor. I unclench my hand to release the last of the shards and gasp at the sight of my mangled palm, sliced and coated in the blood. I clench it shut again and close my eyes. The next time there is blood on my hands, it's going to be Kestrel's.

**Jacob, Age 16, District 5**

I watch from across the room as the arrow lodges itself firmly in the target. Tori goes to get it, slinging her bow over her shoulder like archery was something she has been doing her entire life. We don't have an archer yet. I make my way over to where she stands; her right arm pulled all the way back and her left arm stretched motionlessly in front of her. Her green eyes narrow and she lets it loose, hitting yet another perfect target.

"Hey, Tori, right?" I say walking up. She nods. "I'm Jake. You've got pretty good aim."

"Thanks," She smiles.

"So, I was thinking," I say slowly, taking a deep breath. "I have this alliance and-"

"I'm in!" She says instantly. I blink. "Safety in numbers, right?"

I nod. "Right."

**Fortis, Age 18, District 11**

I sit in the Plants Station looking over a little packet that the lady had given me, Animi curled up in my lap with his head resting on his paws. I finish reading it over and the lady continues to drone on and on about roots or something, but I can't really focus considering I'm to busy staring at the gills on her neck and her three inch eyelashes.

"Is that a _puppy_?" I hear someone say in an odd voice. The lady who was telling me about cactuses, I think, suddenly swallows nervously, her jaw becoming tight. I turn around to find Lindsey behind me with a creepy grin on her face and her head tipped to the side. She stalks forward and crouched down, reaching out and patting Animi on the head. I leap out of the chair, scooping him up in the same motion and holding him protectively away from her. Her smile widens. "Yup, it's a puppy. Chill out, Fortis Tortoise, I'm not going to bite his head off or anything." She laughs hysterically at this and I narrow my eyes.

"Wolf puppy, actually," I growl.

"Whatever," She shrugs, still beaming. "See you… _puppy_." She winks at Animi before cartwheeling away.

**Adela, Age 15, District 9**

The overhead voice tells us that it is time for lunch and we all quickly file into the cafeteria. It's hard not to listen to everyone talking.

"Come on, Eden, forgive me!" Dmitri pleads yet again, while Eden just folds her arms.

"That was another observation?" Bo asks Lark who nods.

"How much peace would the peacekeepers keep if the peacekeepers could keep peace?" Pixie asks Jacob and Tori, bouncing up and down. Jake laughs and Tori shrugs, her eyes narrowed as if she is actually trying to find the answer. The Careers see to be laughing about some hilarious joke Lindsey just made, some not as much as others, while people like Marcella and Aries just kind of stand in line glancing around awkwardly. I get a salad and sit down across from Alo to find him staring at a plate of pancakes.

"Pancakes…?" I say slowly. I saw them, but I didn't get any. They remind me to much of home.

"They taste almost as good as how Dad makes them." He says, not looking up. "But just almost."

"Dad always did make the best pancakes." I say. Every Sunday morning he'd make pancakes, ever since we were born. He'd do it on the Reaping Day, too, as an added little treat. I miss that. "I wouldn't expect them to taste as good as his."

"Me neither." He says, shaking his head and pushing his plate forward.

"Aren't you going to eat?" I ask.

"No," He replies. "I'm not feeling very hungry today."

**Claudia, Age 18, District 2**

"Okay, so I was watching Siggy," I say and everyone rolls their eyes. I choose to ignore that. "And he seems pretty good with a pair of knives."

"That's nice…" Clay mumbles.

"What do you mean?" I ask, placing a hand on my hip. "He could be a threat so I've been keeping an eye on him!"

"An eye?" Lindsey bursts. "More like a telescope! Santa Claus, you're freaking stalking the kid. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't disapprove of that but, toaster strudel, he's _not_ a threat."

"He volunteered!" I argue. "And- did you just call me toaster strudel?" I ask and she nods. I shake this thought out of my mind. "Look, if he volunteered he's got to have some trick up his sleeve."

"This is bordering with obsession." Kyler says and I glare at him until he yells, "Good for you!" I roll my eyes. I'm in an alliance with idiots.

**Azalea, Age 13, District 5**

"Aw, what a cute baby!" I exclaim, holding my finger out for Kane to grip. He giggles and Abby, the District Eleven mentor, smiles.

"Thank you," She says.

"Pixie, we need to talk," Jake announces, coming out of nowhere and grabbing me by the arm. He pulls me over to the table I had been sitting at with him a few minutes ago and I sit down, a confused expression on my face.

"What is it?" I ask. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," He shakes his head. "It's just… you shouldn't be talking to Abby."

"Why?" I ask, baffled by his comment.

"Well, for one thing, she's a mentor for a different District," He says. "And, also, I've heard people say the Games sort of… damaged her."

"What do you mean?" I furrow my brow.

"Come on, Pixie," He says. I glance over at Abby cradling her son and smiling down at him as he sips milk from a bottle she had gotten out of her bag. "It's kinda hard to come out of the arena unscathed. And, I mean, she named her son _Kane_."

"So?" I shrug. "It's a nice name."

"No," He shakes his head. "_Kane_ actually means _tribute_."

**Lindsey, Age 16, District 10**

"_Line the halls with gasoline_

_ Fa la la la la la la la la_

_ Light a match and hear them scream_

_ Fa la la la la la la la la_

_ Watch as they burn down to ashes_

_ Fa la la la la la la la la!_

_ Aren't you glad you played with matches?_

_ Fa la la la la la la la la_" I sing to the tune of Deck the Halls while I sit at the Fires Station, watching as a stack of wood catches flame.

"Hey, twitchy," I hear someone say. I look up to see Alo talking to Altair in the Snares Station. Altair twitches again and I tell an Avox to go get me some popcorn. This is gonna be good. "Dude, sup with your eyes?"

"Nothing," Altair says quickly, turning away. Is he crying?

"Oh, my popcorn!" I exclaim happily as an Avox hands me a bowl.

"Dude, you look like a freaking spastic pigeon or something!" Alo laughs and I see Altair tense. Alo keeps talking. "Like, you just walk around twitching. There's gotta be something wrong with you, bro. Have you seen a Doctor? You should see a doctor. And your _hair_ looks like a chicken made a nest out of it." Alo laughs but is quickly cut off as Altair whips around. The larger boy leaps at Alo, smacking into him hard. "Ah!" They hit the ground with a thump and Alo struggles under the vice grip of his attacker. The peacekeepers are frozen in shock. I laugh and plop some popcorn into my mouth.

"This has no butter!" I shout, throwing a fistful at the Avox who brought it to me.

"Alo!" Adela shrieks, trying to pry Altair off her twin, but the girl just gets tossed off him like a rag doll.

"No one insults Aiden!" Altair roars. The peacekeepers snap out of their trance and rush forward. It takes five of them to pull him off of Alo and stick a needle with a sedative in his neck. _Five_.

"Dude's some sort of freak." Alo says loudly, pulling himself up off the ground. His eye is black and a drop of blood is dripping from his mouth. His clothes are torn in some places and are pulled to the side, while his curly brown hair is sticking up in odd places. The Avox return and places an entire stick of butter in my bowl.

"Better," I grin.

"I'll be taking that." Kyler says, suddenly appearing at my side and taking a huge bite out of my stick of butter.

"Hey, I was gonna eat that!" I complain.

"Well, now I am." He says, before taking a wine bottle from an Avox passing by and smashing it over my head. I yelp in surprise.

"Kyler!" I yell, feeling my head. "I think you got blood in my hair!" We both burst out laughing. It's okay. He's smiling. That makes everything alright.

**Altair, Age 15, District 12**

I wake up on the side of the Training Center, lying on the floor. What am I doing here? How did I get here? The last thing I remember was Alo calling me twitchy.

A voice says, _I think you know what happened._

"No, I don't!" I shout back, tugging on my hair. Not the voices. Not again.

The voice replies, _Yes you do_.

"No, I don't!" I scream, standing up and knocking over a nearby vase. I shrink back as it shatters on the floor, instantly feeling guilty. A single tear leaks from my left eye as I back away a little.

"Hey," Someone says. I wheel around and happily find it to be a real person talking this time. I'm not so happy to find out, however, that it's Kyler, one of the aliens. If you didn't know, the Careers are _aliens_. Yeah, actual aliens. Same thing goes for Siggy and anyone else who's ever volunteered. They are more abundant in the Career districts, though. I mean, no human would be crazy enough to volunteer for the Games. Who would want to hurt _anything_? "You're in the Career alliance, okay, Pinhead?" He pats me on the back and I flinch away, shoving him off. He holds up his arms in a _not hostile_ sort of manner and I calm slightly.

"Eh, What?" I ask confused.

"You're in the Career alliance." He repeats. I don't want to argue with him, since he'd probably rip my head off. I mean, I can't fight at all. Even Alo could beat me in a fight if he wanted to! I can only imagine what _Kyler_ would do to me.

"Eh, okay…" I grumble. He laughs maniacally before trotting off to go do something alien-like, I'm sure. I don't understand, what just happened? Why would the Career alliance want me?

**Aries, Age 17, District 10**

I let the axe fly through the air and watch with a small smile as it sinks into the wooden target. That's the third in a row.

"Nice throw," Jake says, walking over.

"Thanks," I nod, going and pulling it out of the splintered wood.

"We could use someone who can throw like that." Jake tells me.

"I'm not much of a team player." I shake my head. "I'll do better on my own."

He nods slightly. "Alright"

**Eden, Age 15, District 7**

The overhead voice announces that Training is over for the day and all of the tributes step into the elevator that'll take us back to our rooms. I cannot begin to explain the extreme levels of awkwardness, especially with the elevator version of Pretty Fly for a White Guy by The Offspring playing in the background.

"So," Lindsey says loudly. "How about that airline food?" No one replies and we reach the District One floor. Monroe and Oak step off and I swear that half of the tension leaves with them. I catch Oak casting a hateful glare at Kestrel over his shoulder as the door closes. Kestrel, meanwhile, just leans against the wall, his black hair falling in his eyes that are staring intently at his shoes. Reaching District Two, Kyler blows a kiss to Lindsey as he steps off and she giggles like a schoolgirl. Wow, that is… really weird. Reaching District Five, Pixie and Jake, who had been the only ones talking at all, leave us in dead silence.

"I hate awkward silences…" I hear Tori whisper to Fortis who is holding Animi tightly in his arms.

"Oh thank God!" Marcella pants, leaping onto the District Six floor, trembling. "No more small spaces… no more small spaces…" Kestrel steps off a little more slowly. I've reached a conclusion. The dude is emo.

I can't help but sigh in relief as I step off onto my own floor. It looks just like all the others, grey floor and white marble pillars holding up the arching ceiling. An odd green and brown table sits on an elevated section while on the other side of the room a couch forming a huge half-circle sits facing a flat screen TV. Avoxes stand around just waiting for orders. I make my way to my room immediately, not wanting to talk to anyone, especially Dmitri.

"Eden," The King of Players knocks on my doors only twenty minutes later. He cracks the door open to find me sitting on the ground next to my bed, running my fingers over a rope bracelet, my token. "Can… can we talk?"

"What?" I grumble, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"Look, I'm sorry," He says, plopping down next to me. "I don't know what I was doing."

"Oh, I can tell you what you were doing-" I retort, but he places a finger over my mouth. I glare down at it, annoyed, but let him talk.

"I don't like Stella." He begins, staring at his hands in his lap. "It's just… ever since I was little I've always needed to be the center of attention. I mean, I'm the middle kid out of five! I was always kind of forgotten. So, I guess… that's what made me this way. Come on, I have six best friends! If that isn't a need for attention I don't know what is. And when you weren't there, I saw Stella and-" I cut him of, my lips gently pressing up against his, a warmth spreading through my entire body. I pull back and look into his gorgeous brown eyes. "Well… I guess that's settled." He smiles.

**Lindsey, Age 16, District 10**

Sometimes when I sleep I get repressed memories, but they're only fragments. Knives, my own blood, a dog, some trees… not much though. And it's never the same. Every night I see different things. I've remembered before, but the next day I'll realize what I thought I knew was wrong. Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another… if I have a past I prefer it be multiple choice!

"Lindsey," Kyler bursts in my door, an excited expression on his face.

"What is it, Puddin?" I ask, rising to my feet.

"Come on, I have something to show you." He says, grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me into the hallway. We pass Aries' room and go through the living room before stepping into the elevator.

"Where are we going?" I ask, tilting my head to the side.

"You'll see," He grins. We step off when we reach the District Twelve floor, and we rush through until we reach a door at the back of a hallway. He throws it open and we step out onto the roof, odd plants sitting in pots here and there and a bench sitting in front of the ledge. I'm surprised to see it just drops off with no fence or handrail to keep tributes from falling to their doom. This is my kind of place.

"Cool," I smile.

"Come here," Kyler says, taking my hands in his and walking backwards until we are standing on the very edge. I lean over slightly, looking down at all the people below. Suddenly, I peel a rough kick in the butt and I go tumbling over the edge, the ground zooming towards me and the air slapping strands of my brown hair against my face. I laugh a little as the cement draws closer, but at the last second I hit something I can't see. It feels sort of like a trampoline, sinking in at first before sending me skyrocketing but upwards at an angle so that when I reach the roof again, I fall onto the ground next to Kyler's feet. He looks at me expectantly and I grin.

"That was awesome!"


	7. Training Day Three & Private Sessions

**Is this chapter earlier then my chapters usually are? Yes, yes it is. You're welcome! This chapter is ten pages long in my document and I wrote it in three days. I think that deserves some applause! I really wanted to get it published yesterday, for my birthday, but it just couldn't be done. In other news, I got an autographed picture of Cato signed by Alexander Ludwig himself! *fangirl squeal* :D**

**I should tell you now that any paragraphs in italics are flashbacks! Yay for back stories! The exception of this being when the overhead voices talk or the tributes are watching TV, because, you know, the TV people and the overhead announcer guy talk in italic letter. Oh, that goes for writing also. Kapeesh? I hope so because I can't think of a better way to explain it :/**

**Eek, I almost forgot! I made a website with the photgraphs of all the tributes! Or what I think they would look like. My apoligies if your character isn't how they appeared in your mind or whatever. But unless you've done this before you have no idea how hard it is! I know that some of them look older then they are and one or two of them look younger. The only person who really looks really looks like they should is Kestrel. I don't know why. Anywho, the website is The Kill SYOT dot blogspot dot com... you know, except that the dots are really dots and there aren't any spaces. When you get there, there is a bar in the right hand corner. Click on the button that says July just to make things easier and scroll through or click on each character one by one. Tell me what you think in your review!**

* * *

**Monroe, Age 15, District 1**

My eyes flutter open and land on a single rose sitting on my bedside table, its petals delicate and its stem a soft shade of green. I sit up and stretch, picking the flower up gently. I raise it to my nose and take in the calming aroma. My eyes drift to a small tag attached to one of the leaves.

_-Love Oak_

"Monroe," I hear Oak whisper, outside my door. "Are you awake?"

"Yes," I yawn. My eyebrows rise as he pushes the door open with his shoulder, a large tray covered in food held in his hands.

"I got you breakfast." He beams proudly. I blink.

"I thought you were mad at me…" I murmur, staring at my hands.

"Hey," He smiles, setting the tray down on the bedside table and placing a hand on my shoulder. "I could never be mad at you."

"Why not?" I ask after a few seconds.

"What?"

"Why can't you be mad at me?" I repeat quietly.

"Because…" He says slowly. He leans forward and closes his eyes. I freeze, feeling his lips brush mine softly as he hesitates. He kisses me, my eyes widening in shock. I raise a quivering hand to his shoulder, trying to push him away, but he ignores it, continuing to kiss me passionately. I've never been kissed before. It sends warmth spiraling through my body, tempting my eyes to close, but with it comes ripples of fear like icy claws gripping at my spine. I don't like it.

"Oak," I say, finally managing to break away from him, gasping for breath. "I can't…"

"It's him isn't it?" He says instantly, rage and pain filling his eyes. A tear rolls down his cheek I reach out to wipe it away, but he recoils at my touch. "It's Kestrel. You love him, don't you?"

"I don't know…" I reply quietly.

"Then figure it out." He growls, his voice cracking. Standing, he makes his way over to the door before throwing it open. He looks back as he steps into the hallway. "Enjoy your breakfast." He says coldly, slamming the door shut. I… I don't think I feel very hungry this morning.

**Abrielle, Age 15, District 11 Mentor**

I take my tributes down to the Center early so I can watch them all come inside, all the tributes for this year's Games. It's heartbreaking to watch somber faces and hollow eyes to fill the room, young hands picking up weapons and training to kill. It's wrong. This is all _wrong_.

I cradle Kane closer to me and sit down in an empty chair on the side of the room next to the drink table. Monroe throws a knife and I remember my own blade sinking into Vencitiy's flesh. Kyler throws a spear and I think of Sterling's own spear diving into the stomach of Dillon, and later Tanner. Tori lets an arrow loose, and I think of Velvet shooting Ramona in the head, the very first death of my Games. Adela uses a dagger to slice open the stomach of a practice dummy. Vencitiy cuts open Elias' belly and his face contorts in horror as he watches his own intestines spill across the ground. Altair is in weight lifting and he tosses a medicine ball across the room. Oplarran knocks me to the ground with one swipe with I'm a rag doll, his hulking figure blotting out the sun. Peregrine steps into the compaction room and her blood seeps under the door. Tanner asks me to tell Vencitiy he loves her as he bleeds out. Sterling, the father of my son, dies in my arms.

I shake my head in an attempt to chase away the flashbacks. I see them at night when I dream, during the day now, too. They haunt me. They're everywhere. Just a year ago it was me talking to Sterling, not Monroe talking to Kestrel. It was Gleam on her never-ending quest to control the Career alliance, not Kyler and Lindsey dominating without anyone questioning their leadership. It was Hunter and Velvet in the archery station sending arrows flying into perfect targets, not Tori and Bo. Three hundred and sixty-five days ago feels just like yesterday to me.

I saw Kestrel when I went on my victory tour. Just the sight of him made my heart lurch when I first stepped onto the stage. I expected him to leap from the crowd and wrap his hands around my neck, despite the fact that he showed no emotion in his eyes, just as she did. That's what scared me the most, I think. He looked just like her.

The victory tour was one of the most painful things I've ever had to do in my life, not nearly as hard as watching Sterling die… but almost there. I had to stare into the eyes of the people whose lives I've ruined. It could have been their children, their love, their sibling coming back to greet them, not the pregnant blonde girl with the scared blue eyes and the trembling hands.

_ "When I was very young my mother used to tell me about how one day my knight in shining armor would save me…" I say, standing before District Eight, Sterling's home, watching everyone stare up at me, my eyes full of unshed tears. I smile weakly. "I never understood until now just how right she was. My knight was Sterling, and he saved my life in more ways then one. He promised me that I would come out of the arena alive. He kept his promise. He means more to me then anyone else has ever meant to me… and that's why I'm deciding to name my son Kane Sterling Maddox. So I can never forget. Because if I forget him, the Games we played together… then I have nothing left."_

**Azalea, Age 13, District 5**

I pick up the machete tentatively. I hate it. I hate all of this, having to fight, having to hurt other people. It hurts me, knowing what I'm going to have to do if I want to get home. The pain sits there in my lunges, or at least that's where I think it is, burning my insides and scorching my soul whenever I breathe. This isn't what I wanted with my life.

It takes me a few tries before I get it right, using the machete. I'm not very good. I'm never going to be good with weapons, never in this lifetime. But I'm better with it them I am with the others. It'll have to do.

I take a deep breath and set it back down with shaking fingers, realization rocking me to my core. This is it. This is what I'm going to kill people with. But I can't kill people, I can't! It's not who I am. I told my mentor that. She said that if I want to go home then I have to become someone else… that _Pixie_ cannot be there during the Games, it must be a different person. But I don't think I can do that. If I'm not _Pixie_… then who am I?

**Tori, Age 17, District 12**

"I don't like him," Jake says from where the two of us sit in the knot tying station watching Kestrel throw tiny knives into targets with perfect aim. I glance at him as he works to untie a knot so he can practice doing it again. "He's to… something."

"I find him a scheming and manipulative individual." I say and Jake looks at me in surprise. "Monroe will only join the alliance if he comes with her, and then he demands that the two of them not be separated as if he is in a position to burden us with more then just his presence. He acts as if we want him, as if we need him. And the messed up part is that he's right in a way." Jake thinks for a moment.

"I just don't like him."

**Sigmund, Age 12, District 8**

"So when the timer goes off what are you going to do?" Jennifer asks me for the third time.

"I'm going to hide while you run to the cornucopia," I reply. She grins proudly. There might not even be a place for me to hide. You never know until you get into the arena. And she seems so sure of herself, how she's going to go into the bloodbath. Does she even know what she's saying? There is a reason they call it the bloodbath, and I have a feeling that a middle school teacher wouldn't do so well in one. "Are you sure you want to go into that, Ms. Dulrek?"

"Call me Jennifer, Siggy," She says, smiling slightly. "Here we're equal."

"Okay…" I nod, knowing that I'm never going to stop calling her that. She is always going to be a role model to me, first and foremost. I'll never be equal to her until I _prove_ that I am. "But are you really going to go into the bloodbath? What if you get hurt?"

"Of course I'm going," She nods.

"But when my mother trained me she always told me to stay out of the bloodbath." I say. "She always said to get as far away as possible or to hide before the other tributes start coming after you."

"That's what _you're_ going to do," She says, resting her hands on my shoulders and kneeling down to look me in the eyes. Curse my tiny stature. "I'm going to get us food and weapons so we can protect ourselves and stay strong. I'm going to take care of you when we get into the arena. I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you."

"Okay," I nod, even though I know that I'm going to be the one protecting her.

**Clay, Age 18, District 4**

I let my trident soar through the air for a few moments before it impales itself into the dummy one last time. A perfect hit. I place it back in the proper spot before walking to the center of the Training Center and looking around me. Kyler is in Spears again. He sends three of the silver things flying into the same target, all of them hitting a perfect mark. Marcella, who had been watching, gets a rather pale look on her face. Noticing her, he sends a demonic grin in her direction and she quickly attempts to pretend she hadn't been observing him, but the damage was already done. Stella is in Archery. The instructor pulls a lever and four fake birds burst into flight. She shoots them down before they even start to lower in altitude. Oak is carving up practice dummies with a knife in his hands clutched so tightly that his knuckles have turned white. Six of them already lay at his feet, their stuffing spilling across the floor. He leaps into the air and kicks the head off of one before stabbing another as he lands, sending both of them tumbling to the ground. Claudia has moved into the Machete Station. She lops the arms off of a dummy before slicing another completely in half, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

Pixie, who had been in the station with Claudia, backs away quickly, heading off to sit with Monroe and Kestrel, a scared look on her face. I narrow my eyes. Why is she talking to them? She nods before trotting off to Jake and Tori, saying something to them before returning to the unofficial lovers. Is she… carrying messages? Alarmed, I dart over to Kyler.

"Hey," I say tapping him on the shoulder. He looks at me curiously and I nod over at Pixie as she jogs back and forth. "I think she's delivering messages."

"Yes…" Kyler nods after a few seconds, the jubilant malice lacing his voice reminding me of a snake. "Yes she is."

"It's one big alliance…" I murmur. "They won't all get in a group because they don't want us to know about it."

"Indeed," He grins from ear to ear and I'm tempted to take a step away from him, but know it would be a bad move, so I stay where I am. "This should certainly be _interesting_…" He cackles, whirling around and sending a spear spiraling in between the eyes of a human-shaped target. I swallow hard. I'm in the presence of a true maniac.

**Lark, Age 15, District 3**

The overhead voice calls for us to head into the cafeteria and I get my things quickly, keeping my head down, and slid into the seat next to Bo. We don't say much, just sitting beside each other and eating slowly. I play with my food a bit, pushing my beans around on my plate, pretending in my mind that they're chasing each other.

"Ya seem scared…" Bo observes, taking a bite of toast.

"Very," I nod.

"Why, miss Lark?" He asks, tilting his head to the side and I laugh a little. He blinks in surprise. I guess he's never heard me laugh before.

"Well as soon as we finish eating we have the private sessions," I say, stating the obvious. "What if I do badly?"

"Ya won't," He says simply.

"How do you know?" I ask, exasperated.

"'Cause you're ya," He grins. "And ya are amazin'." I giggle and he smiles warmly.

"Okay."

**Fortis, Age 18, District 11**

"Tori," I say urgently, pulling her away from Jake and Pixie.

"What is it?" She asks confused.

"Have you seen Animi?" I ask, glancing around.

"No," She shakes her head. "Why?"

"I can't find him." I tell her, crouching down to look under tables anxiously. He is nowhere to be seen. "Tell me if you see him, I'm really worried."

"Okay."

**Kestrel, Age 18, District 6**

I watch Monroe with contemplating eyes as she stares down at her fish, not even touching it. Her hands sit folded in her lap and all of her muscles are tense. She's practically radiating anxiety. I decide that if she wants to talk to me then she would, taking a sip of my water and staring off into space, thinking. Not planning, not plotting… just thinking.

_"Why did you volunteer?" I ask my sister, my face stricken with horror and burning hatred. _

_ "I need to feel something," She replies not even looking at me._

_ "That's it then?" I ask, anger rising in my stomach. "How could you do this to me?"_

_ "I'm taking your chain into the arena with me." She says, not answering the question. "The one you made me when you were little."_

_ "How could you leave me?" I ask, tears streaming down my cheeks. I can't take it anymore. Rising to my feet I slap her hard across the face. She doesn't gasp or flinch, doesn't even blink. "How could you be so selfish? After all you've already done to me you are just going to walk out because you want to feel something."_

_ "I love you." She says quietly. I shake my head._

_ "No you don't. You don't have emotions, Peregrine." _

"I'm going to do badly." Monroe whispers, still staring at her food. I'm awaken from my flashback and find myself studying her face, tracing its every line with my eyes and staring a disproportionate amount of time on her mouth, staring at her small pink lips, so gentle and soft like a rose.

"No your not," I say, acting a little impulsively by reaching over and tucking a strand of hair out from behind her ear.

"Yes I am," She nods, staring at me vulnerably, her lip trembling. "I'm horrible."

"You're beautiful and talented." I say honestly, my stomach doing summersaults. "They are going to love you."

"Thank you," She says weakly, her eyes tearing up. "No… no one has ever been as nice to be as you have Kestrel…" I lean forward to wipe to tear from her eyes, and let my hand linger on her face for a moment, touching her soft skin. My thumb brushes up against her lips. My heart, which has felt so numb for so long, soars when she reaches up with her own hand, holding mine against her face, her eyes closed as she leans into its warmth. "Oak came to me this morning," She says out of the blue, her eyes flickering open.

"What?" I ask, confused.

"He gave me a rose," She murmurs. "Made me breakfast… he… he kissed me." I tense until she continues. "I didn't like it."

"Why not?" I ask with a deep breath, letting my hand fall back to my side.

"I don't like him like that." She whispers, as if she's said this before. I nod, taking this in. "He's angry at me because I'm with you…"

"_With_ me?" I ask confused, and panic spreads across her features for a moment.

"As allies," She says quickly, and I nod, disappointed. No… no, I don't have time for her here. I need to get home, that's all I need to do. But… what is there to go back for?

_ "Dad loves you," Peregrine replies calmly, as if that makes up for her not caring for me._

_ "No he doesn't," I hiss. "Not really. The only person he ever loves was Mom. Look around, Peregrine. Mom is gone!"_

_ "I know where Mother isn't," She nods, looking out the window. _

_ "Pere," I whisper, my strength and anger rushing out of me, replaced with only pain. I feel like a kid again, dropping to my knees and sobbing like a child, my head resting on the arm of the chair she sits, tears staining the fabric. "Don't leave me. I love you."_

_ "I have to leave," She replies emotionlessly, just as she always did. "If I come back… I'll love you."_

"No one could ever love me…" I say, breathing aloud the final words I ever said to my sister. There is a horribly long moment of silence between the two of us, and I'm quietly stunned by the beauty Monroe can have, how much attention she can hold even when she isn't speaking.

"I don't understand how anyone couldn't."

**Kyler, Age 17, District 2**

"_Tributes_," An annoying voice says over the microphones in the roof. "_Please report to the waiting room. Private Sessions will now begin_." We all stand, leaving our trays and leftovers sitting on the table, and shuffle into a tiny room with two benches facing each other. Marcella is freaking out because of the tiny space and Dmitri, who sits next to her, is trying to tell her to chill out while Kestrel, on her other side, just stares absentmindedly at Monroe, looking like he has absolutely no idea what is going on other then the fact that she's in the room. Monroe, who is on my right, doesn't even notice since she's staring at her feet and trembling slightly. She reminds me of a Chihuahua. I hate Chihuahuas.

"Where have you been?" I ask as Lindsey steps into the tiny room to sit on my left, despite how the Peacekeepers keep saying to sit in order.

"I've been doing things," She grins psychotically before pecking me on the cheek. My eye twitches in annoyance. I took the liberty of poisoning the biggest steak at lunch today; she _always_ takes the biggest steak. No one else eats it because they know she'll tear them to shreds if they do and she didn't even show up. I just wasted, like, a whole cup of cyanide on that thing.

"_Oak Harper_," A voice says. Oak rises to his feet and glares at Kestrel for a few seconds before making his way into the Training Center.

"Good luck, Oaky Dokey!" Lindsey calls after him, waving exaggeratedly. God, I really hate her. Why do I have to like her so much?

**Claudia, Age 18, District 2**

Kyler goes in, and stays in there for a good forty minutes. Then it's my turn. I slowly take a step towards the door and glance back at everyone before going inside. It's the same Training Center, but the instructors are gone, making the room look unbelievably empty. I know what to do. I make my way over to the Knives Station. I pick up to and launch them into targets. Not perfect hits but still right inside the smallest circle. If they had just been slightly to the left they would have been perfect. I look over at the Gamemakers to see them scribbling things down on little notepads. I swallow hard and make my way to machetes, like I've been told to do. I pick up two, one for each hand, and set up a row of dummies. I go down the line, slicing off heads, arms, legs, anything that I can reach, twirling in between them and sinking my blade into them, their stuffing falling like blood to litter the floor. When I reach the end of the line, ten mutilated dummies lay ripped apart on the ground.

"You are excused." The head Gamemaker says to me. I do a little bow before letting my machetes simply clatter to the floor and walking out, my head held high. I couldn't have done better.

**Jacob, Age 16, District 5**

"_Jacob Sorenson_" A voice announces. I give Pixie a reassuring smile before walking inside. I'm not really nervous. After all, why should I be? This is all just standing in between me and what I want more then anything: to die. I try not to think about it most of the time, why I volunteered. I pretend like I'm just some big joker, and it's caused the others to forget I volunteered, I think. But I _did_ volunteer, and I had a reason for it. It's my fault my sister is dead.

_"Jake," My sister, Melody, calls, stepping out of the house and waving me over. She looks just like me, with the same brown hair that she keeps in a ponytail and matching blue-green eyes that twinkle in the half-light. "You're late!"_

_ "Sorry," I apologize, holding up a hand to shield my eyes from the rain that cascades down on the muddy ground, sending drops of water splashing up onto my jeans. My house is circular, one floor, with a straw roof pointed at the center like an ice cream cone, sending whatever water doesn't seep through the roof to drip off the edges onto the moist dirt._

_ "Jake!" She shrieks, suddenly looking terrified, just as lighting flashes. I whirl around to find a horrible monster looming over me, its green scales glinting in the dim light, fangs dripping with saliva and venom. It stands on its back legs, towering at twice my size, three inch long claws either sinking into the door or hovering merely a foot away from my face. The snake mutt lets out a tremendous roar, yellow eyes staring up at the obscured moon, hulking tail switching back and forth across the ground, sending waves of murky water to splatter the already soaked ground. It moves faster then I can, bringing a slimy, clawed hand the size of my head down on me, slicing three long cuts into my side and sending my flying across the road, my back slapping against the asphalt and scrapping on the cement as I slide backwards. The mutt drops onto all fours, foam dripping from its open mouth along with acid that dissolves anything it comes in contact with, even the street. Its claws leave curved indentations in the ground wherever it steps, cracks running along the road and stretching out across the ground like strands of a spider web. It stops just in front of me, rising onto its legs again, green acid dripping from its mouth onto its front legs, making the creature look as if it crawled from a nightmare. Thunder cracks just as it shoots the acid towards me and I watch, unable to do anything, as my sister leaps in between the mutt and me, the acid hitting her instead, dissolving her skin and eating away her flesh as she tumbles to the ground in a bloody heap, her head cracking open on the cement._

_ "MELODY!"_

I force myself out of my memories and onto the present. Swords, swords, swords… there they are! I pick up my favorite, the hilt wrapped in leather and covered in small jewels. The blade is perfectly balanced and glints in the light, reflecting everything that surrounds it. I grin and swipe it out towards the nearest dummy, slicing its head off in one fluid motion. I kick another in the stomach before using the momentum to slice a third cleanly in half, its top half thudding to the floor. I send a look at the Gamemakers. They look impressed, with high eyebrows and pens flying across the paper. This is going better then I thought it would.

**Marcella, Age 16, District 6**

They call my name and I head to the Ropes Course straight away. I run up the net as if I've been doing it my entire life, my steps landing on each rope in the perfect spot to propel me forward, my feet never slipping through the holes or being misplaced in any way. When I'm ten feet in the air, the ground far below me, I grab onto the ropes, flipping over the side of the net so I'm hanging by my arms. Using the force from the swing, I pull my legs up and loop them through the ropes before letting go with my hands so I dangle from my feet. I give the Gamemakers a little grin and a wave before sliding my feet out of the net and flipping to the ground. I land in a crouch and look up with a beam, blowing strands of hair from my eyes. That was perfect.

**Eden, Age 15, District 7**

My turn comes too quickly for my taste. Dmitri just went and his turn only took twenty or so minutes. I'm worried that he didn't do well; he was so uncaring before he went in. If he doesn't try, like I'm worried he did, then he's going to get a low score. That could really hurt him, in more ways then one.

I swallow nervously. Stepping into the huge room I shake out my arms a bit, remembering what I'm supposed to do, what my mentor told me to do. I breathe deeply before bursting into a sprint, leaping over a few tables. Mid leap, I snatch out of the axes off the walls and land in a run. I push off another table and twist in the air, sending the weapon spinning into the head of a dummy halfway across the room. I land in a roll before continuing my dash. I use on of the thin pillars holding up the ceiling to spin myself in another direction, grabbing a bow and sending three arrows into perfect targets. I look up at the ceiling to see it's made of square tiles, with small dents in between the separate them. I grin, pushing off of a chair and launching myself into the air. I aim upward, sending four arrows into a single crack. The Gamemakers gape at me as I land. I give them a little curtsy, placing my bow back on the shelf and marching out of the room.

**Alo, Age 15, District 9**

How is my day going, you ask? Horrible. Absolutely terrible. It couldn't get much worse then this. First off, I'm pretty sore from that creep going all Terminator on my face, and then Adela is mad at me for being mean to him, despite the fact that he used my body as his own personal punching bag. Then, of course, I just had to do horribly in my Private Sessions. I was aiming with my slingshot and missed a shot, and if that wasn't bad enough, it bounced off the wall and came back to hit me in the eye! Adela says its karma, but you know what? I volunteered to protect her, so she doesn't even have the right to say anything bad about me anymore. Therefore it's invalid.

I step into the shower of my bathroom, letting the warm waters flow over my skin, washing away all of my problems, and a little blood, too. Karma… come on, the world isn't out to get me! Why would it be? I'm justified! I didn't _mean_ to be mean to the dude. It's not my fault he's sensitive! The guy needs to learn to laugh at himself sometimes. I laugh at myself all the time! I don't understand people. I mean, why does everyone take themselves so seriously? I don't. Call someone a freak just one time and they hate you for life. What's up with that?

Stepping out of the shower, I stand on a plate and a ripple spreads through my body. I let out a very unmanly squeal and leap off the pad, arms spread defensively over my face. Glancing at my skin, I realize all the water droplets have disappeared. I'm perfectly dry. I run a hand through my hair to find not a single tangle. My brown curls fall in all the right places, looking better then they ever have. I pose in the mirror for a few minutes, admiring myself, before making my way back into my room. I slip my silver bracelet, my token, back on my wrist. I put on a pair of black shorts and a big T-shirt, deciding to go barefoot into the living room. Why bother getting all dressed up? It's just a living room.

I walk out into the grey hallway, the marble floor feeling ice cold under my feet. I strut into the living room where my twin already sits, legs pulled up to her chest, aiming the remote at the TV. I plop down next to her and we watch silently as the screen flashes to life. They're going to announce the training scores.

"_Hello, everyone_," The announcer says, tapping a stack of papers against the table to straighten them. "_Our tributes have been scored over a series of three days. They have three sessions to practice before being given a single Private Session alone with the Gamemakers in which they attempt to prove their worth. As always, tributes have been rated on a scale of zero to twelve, zero being horrible and twelve being outstanding. Let us begin_."

District One comes first, obviously. They show Oak's face, his blue eyes smiling out at the audience. After a few seconds a number comes into the picture as well, his training score. _Nine_. I swallow nervously and remind myself that the Careers always get high scores. Monroe comes up next, and I blink in surprise when she gets a _Six_.

"That's low for a Career." I notice, a little confused.

"She's not a Career." Adela reminds me, annoyance still lacing her tone.

Kyler earns himself an _eleven_, the highest so far. It isn't very surprising, the dude is a maniac. He ate an entire stick of butter. Who does that? Claudia's image comes up next, along with the number _ten_. Why doesn't it surprise me? I've seen her with a machete, it's scary. She can slice off appendages like she's cutting through butter. Oh, great, now I'm thinking about the butter thing again…

Bo gets a _six_, and I nod to myself. The numbers seems fitting for him. It means he's still dangerous, but not as deadly as people like Claudia and Kyler. Lark gets a _four_. Yeah, I thought so. Four is right in the middle. It doesn't mean strong or weak, just somewhere in between the two.

It's District Four's turn next. That's Stella and Clay, the two Careers who don't really seem like Careers. I mean, Stella doesn't seem like she really wants to be here and Clay is just… weird. The two of them score a pair of identical _nines_.

Jake's face comes up and I can see Adela tense. Something about the guy makes her nervous, and I can't figure out if it's his good looks or the fact that the dude can cut people in half with one swipe of a sword. Hopefully it's the latter. The number ten pops up under his photo and Adela swallows hard. I place a hand gently on her shoulder and flash her a tiny smile. She lowers her gaze and I return my attention to the TV. Pixie scores a _five_. I like her, she's sweet. She doesn't take herself seriously, either. I'd hate for her to get hurt, she's as innocent as a newborn kitten, but she's going to have to for Adela to go home. Yes… I don't even want to go home. I want Adela to go home. I don't care if I die as long as she lives.

**Tori, Age 17, District 12**

I'm glad Jake scored high, but I feel really bad for Pixie. She's so sweet, but she's just not a fighter. It's sad to say, but I really don't think she's going to live long… not in these Games.

District Six comes on, Kestrel's face blinking at the screen. He's attractive, I'll give him that, but he is most certainly not my type. He's way to sad all the time. It's like he's constantly in a hole of depression sitting underneath a raincloud of sadness and self pity. He scores an _eight_. He's living up to the title of legend that his sister earned, I see. Peregrine only got a six in her Games. No one expected her to be as amazing as she was, surviving until the final two. If you ask me, if Abby hadn't been pregnant that Peregrine would have won. It was her baby that drove Abby to do what she did. If it had only been her life on the line I have a feeling victory would have slipped through her fingers. Marcella comes up and scores a… _eight_? What? How did that even happen?

Dmitri gets a _six_, which is expected. But what comes next is a little surprising. Eden scores a _ten_. I'm not kidding! She spent all of training talking to Dmitri and working on their relationship problems. What the heck…? How'd she score that high? She must be better then she lets on, hiding her talents from us so that we don't know what she can do until the Games begin.

Poor little Siggy scores a _four_. I feel so bad for him, he's so tiny! He's almost guaranteed to die on the first day. That must be so terrifying for him, know he's going to die. At least I have a chance. Jennifer gets a _five_ and I shrug it off. She isn't going to survive long, either. The two of them in an alliance is just going to shorten their lives even more.

Alo scores _five_, and I have to admit I expected him to get a seven or at least a six. I wonder what he did to screw it up so much. His twin, Adela, manages a _six_, however. That must suck for him, knowing his sister did better then he did.

Aries gets a _nine_, no surprise there. He's strong, powerful looking. His district partner, Lindsey, scores eleven. _Eleven_? The only other person who scored that high was Kyler! She's just as crazy as he is, I suppose, so it makes sense.

Fortis earns an _eight_. Eights are pretty high, in my opinion. I'm happy for him. Jade's picture comes up next and I narrow my eyes. I don't like her. I really don't like her. She's just so… obnoxious. I chuckle to myself when she gets a _five_.

It's Altair's turn. He sits on the couch as far away from me as possible. We both reside on the very ends of the cushions, not looking at each other. I could not even begin to explain the unbelievable levels of awkwardness in the room right now. His picture comes up on stage, and of course the photo just had to be taken when his eye was twitching. Of course. He scores a _ten_ and my mouth drops open. So does his. How did he do that? I am so confused. My picture comes up next, my green eyes staring into the camera and a forced smile on my lips. I hold my breath for the few seconds until my score shows up… _seven_. Only seven? I feel my heart drop in my stomach. Altair got a ten! What did he do that I didn't?

What did he do?


	8. The Interviews

**I'm late, I'm late for a very important date! Eek, okay, I'm sorry that this is *checks calendar* two days past my self-set deadline. Oops? Ha, no, I have an excuse. I was on vacation and staying at a hotel for a week, and I've had guests for the past ten days. And thus, I couldn't really type... at all. On a more unrelated note, The Dark Knight Rises is now one of my favorite movies of all freaking time. So anyway, towards the end of the middle (does that make any sense? Oh well) of this, the interviews get shorter, simply because I find interviews both boring and difficult to write. And I don't watch talk shows or anything like that, so it's hard for me to think of questions that interviewers would ask. Also, there is some foreshadowing in here! Some of the foreshadowing being a little bit more obvious then others. Okay... I'm freaking out. Why? THE NEXT CHAPTER IS THE FIRST DAY IN THE ARENA! That also means the bloodbath. So, I want you all to tell me who you want to see die! Tell me! I wanna know, peeps! And tell me you're guesses for what's going to happen in the arena. I want to hear what you think!**

* * *

**Jade, Age 18, District 11**

"What's taking him so long?" I groan, sliding down in my chair. Abby and I sit in the living room in front of the TV waiting for Fortis so that we can go and meet up with the prep teams.

"Patience," Abby says, smiling sympathetically. I am really sick of that smile; I don't need her sympathy!

"You know what," I say standing. I'm dressed in just a black tank top, a black mini skirt and black heels. I didn't bother to get dressed up or put on makeup or anything, since my prep team is just going to change everything about my appearance anyway. "I'm going to see what's taking him so long."

"Jade," Abby begins, but I'm already heading down the hallway. I reach Fortis' room and knock on the door impatiently. There is no response so I just step inside, my eyes narrowed in annoyance. I find Fortis dressed and ready, crouched down and lifting up the tangled sheets to look under his bed, panic on his face.

"Fortis," I sigh. "What are you _doing_?"

"I can't find Animi!" He replies, looking around frantically.

"Calm down," Abby says, appearing besides me. I frown and take a step away from her. She walks further into the room and rests a hand gently on Fortis' shoulder. "I'm sure that Animi just ran off. I'll tell everyone to keep an eye out for him. I'm sure he'll turn up, Fortis, but right now we really have to go."

He takes a deep breath. "Okay."

**Oak, Age 17, District 1**

"Please tell me this is a joke," I say, staring at my reflection in the mirror.

"Nonsense!" My stylist exclaims, her purple Mohawk leaning slightly to the left side of her head and her yellow eyes appearing as if they are crackling with electricity. "You look gorgeous, darling." I don't know how she can say that. I look like a lime. I'm in a neon green suit covered in small, hideous designs of flowers and plants. Each one has been scented to smell exactly like they do in real life… as if the audience is going to be sniffing me.

"Are you sure?" I ask, tilting my head to the side.

"Are you questioning my judgment?" My stylist growls, her yellow eyes turning blood red.

"Nope!" I say quickly. "No, never, not at all, why would you say that?"

"Okay!" She says, brightening up, her eyes turning pink. I take a step back. "Alrighty," She nods, looking at a clip board. "You need to get to the interviews. Go on." Two peacekeepers come and lead me down a hallway with white walls and checkerboard floors. I turn to find Monroe standing behind me and my mouth drops open. She's in a simple dress, the top of which being navy blue and short sleeved. A black waistband separates the dress at her waist, which I must admit my eyes linger on, and the skirt itself is black and sparkly, reaching her knees, puffing out so that it reminds me of a dress a fairy would wear. Her beautiful blonde hair is done up in a bun, and she wears black flats. Her gaze is set firmly on the floor and it frustrates me. She rubs her arm and turns away from me slightly.

"Staring is rude, children," My escort says, her aquamarine curls bouncing, snapping her fingers in front of my face. She flattens down her blue skirt, smiling with pearly white teeth. She claps happily. "Chop, chop! We must get going, children."

"Look," I say, falling in beside Monroe as we follow our escort, flanked by Peacekeepers. "I'm… I'm sorry."

"For what?" She asks, looking up at me with big, nervous eyes, genuine confusion on her face.

"For what?" I echo. "For yelling, for kissing you, for being so jealous… _for swearing to murder your boyfriend_…" I say, murmuring the last part.

"What?" She tilts her head to the side, her brow furrowed.

"Nothing," I say quickly, shaking my head. "Look… I take it all back. You… you love him… I get it."

"Oak," She begins but I hold up a hand for her to be quiet.

"It's okay," I sigh, tears welling in my eyes and my insides burning. "I can take a hint. You don't love me back… but, Monroe, just remember… I'll always love you." We reach a large door at the end of the hallway and step inside. The other tributes, dressed in stunning outfits, stand around anxiously, waiting for their name to be called. Some of them lounge around in leather chairs. Three flat screens are set up next to each other on one of the walls, each with static and that annoying noise that comes with it. I figure that once the show starts we'll be able to see what's happening on them.

"Sup, Oak?" Clay asks, coming over and giving me a fist pound. I glance over at Monroe and he nods, knowing I want some space. He shoots me a _good luck_ look before heading off to talk to Stella.

"Monroe," I whisper, turning back to her. Her big blue eyes blink up at me, making my heart flutter. "If… Well… you know how I feel about you being in the Career alliance. I really think that you need to come back to us."

"No," She says simply, crossing her arms.

"Monroe," I say, resting a hand on her shoulder. "I just want you to be safe. Please, just listen to me-"

"No, _you_ listen to _me_," She growls and I blink in shock. She's never interrupted anyone. In fact, she barely speaks to anyone at all besides Kestrel. "I'm not joining the Career alliance."

"Is it because you love Kestrel?" I ask, my heart flinching at the idea.

"No," She replies, crossing her arms. "It's because I don't want the last people I work with to be murderers."

"We're on air!" A lanky man says, sticking his head inside the room. The TVs flicker to life to show the interviewer walking on stage in a black suit, waving to the audience and flashing a brilliant smile that almost blinds me. I open my mouth to reply to Monroe when the interviewer calls her name. She takes a shaky breath and smoothes down her dress, her hands shaking.

"Good luck," Kestrel murmurs, walking up and staring her meaningfully in the eyes.

"Good luck…" I nod, refusing to look at him.

"Thank you," Monroe nods to both of us, stepping through an archway and walking onto the stage. I look up at the screen to watch everything happen.

"_Monroe_," The interviewer says. "_Welcome_."

"_Hi_." Monroe squeaks, smiling nervously, getting a collective _aw_ from the crowd.

"_It's nice to meet you_," The interviewer beams.

"_Nice to meet you, too, Berry,_" She says quietly, staring at her hands in her lap and glancing up at the audience every once in a while. They love her.

"_Don't be nervous, sweetie_," Berry, the interviewer, smiles. "_There_ _is nothing to be worried about_." She nods, lifting her head slightly. "_Now, Monroe, what is your family like?"_

"_Well_…" She says slowly. "_My father left my mom when he learned she was pregnant with me. I guess that's why my mom never talks to me directly. She always tells my brother what she wants to tell me_."

"_What kind of things does she tell you_?"

"_Usually, she, um_…" Monroe rubs her arms nervously, looking absolutely gorgeous. "_Tells me how I'm not worth her time, or anyone's time really… She wasn't even sad when I got reaped_."

"_Why ever not_?"

"_She doesn't love me_." Monroe replies, finally looking up at Berry. "_She always talks about how she hates me, how I don't deserve to live…_"

"Oh my God…" I breathe.

"I had no idea…" Kestrel says quietly from where he still stands next to me.

"_That's very sad indeed_." Berry nods solemnly. "_Monroe, people are saying that you aren't part of the Career alliance. Is this true?_"

"_Yes_," She nods and the crowd gasps.

"_Why is that_?"

"_I'm not going to stoop to their level_." She answers. "_I'm not going to lie and kill for liars and killers. Whatever happens, I'm going to still be myself… even if I die_." The rest of her interview is kind of a blur for me. I'm too busy thinking about what she's said. Is that really what she thinks of me? Am I a liar and a killer in her eyes?

"_You know him, you love him_," Berry says as Monroe steps back inside the room and I'm snapped out of my thoughts. "_He's handsome with a training score of nine and was named after a tree… Oak Harper_!"

"Hey, Berry," I say casually, running up on stage and high fiving him. A flash the crowd a confident smile and a group of three teenage Capitol girls in the front row scream so loud it hurts my ears, one of the holding up a sign that says _win for me, Oak! I love you!_ "Sup?"

"Not much," He laughs. "Sup with you?" He asks, saying it in a very weird way that makes him sound unbelievably nerdy.

"Oh, just admiring the Capitol." I blow a kiss to the girls in the front and they freak out, a blonde pretending to catch my kisses.

"I know what you mean," Berry laughs, sitting down. I fall into the leather seat next to him, still grinning. "So, Oak, how do you feel about the Games?"

"Oh, I'm excited," I say, looking into the audience. "I've been training for them my entire life. I know I'm going to win."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"What is the main reason you want to win, Oak?" Berry asks me.

"Because," I say honestly. "I have people waiting for me back at home… people I'm not going to disappoint."

**Claudia, Age 18, District 2**

"You ready, Clau?" Clay asks me, dressed in a dark blue suit with a green undershirt. I nod.

"You'll do great." Stella says, patting me on the shoulder. Stella wears a yellow bikini along with a yellow see-through vale, the kind that a bride would wear on her wedding day. Her stylist really loves to put her in bikinis.

"_Claudia Knight_!" I hear Berry say over the TV. I make my way out onto the stage. Screens hang from miniscule cords, showing my own image splattered across the room. I'm dressed in a huge flowing black dress, the corset top hugging my sides and bringing out my curves. The skirt is huge and layered, covered in flowers and draping across the floor. My makeup is done to look as if shadows are being cast across my face and my hair is slightly curled, full of small black flowers to match the ones on my dress. I stand up straight and hold my head high, making my way to the interview chair and sitting down, my legs crossed and my hands folded in my lap.

"Hello, Berry," I say, my face expressionless, as the crowd quiets down.

"So, Claudia," Berry says slowly, clearly unnerved by me. He wasn't here for the interviews last year. That was someone else. He's brand new and obviously not used to tributes. "You got a pretty high score in training. Ten, was it?"

I nod.

"Yes, that's very high indeed. How ever did you score that high?"

"Because I'm the best," I hiss, sending a dark glance towards the cameras.

"You say that," Berry scratches his chin. "And yet, you didn't get the highest score. If I recall, your district partner did."

"I didn't want to put him in my shadow. I let him score higher then me." I shrug. "He's powerful and a good fighter, but in the end… he won't be good enough."

"What about Lindsey?" He asks. "She got a high score, too."

"By the time she was up for the private sessions, the Gamemakers were singing show tunes." I reply, causing everyone to laugh.

"I see," Berry chuckles. The rest of my interview is rather boring. He asks me why I think I'm going to win, what weapon I'm best with and that sort of stuff. I get off with a relieved sigh. I wasn't nervous, I just hate doing that. Why should I have to answer what he asks me?

"_Kyler_," Berry smiles, shaking my district partner's hand. Kyler's new stylist dressed him in a bright pink suit, covered in purple sparkles. Every few minutes it randomly lights up like a light bulb, practically blinding anyone standing nearby. I don't think the new stylist is going to make it through the night. "_It's nice to meet you_."

"_Nice to meet you, too_," Kyler says, smiling. My jaw drops. That's… that's not a creepy smile. That's a nice, friendly smiling! I didn't even know he was capable of that. Oh, look, he's got fans. "_I've always dreamed of this moment, when I'm on stage in front of the gorgeous Capitol…_" He winks at the crowd. "_With our lovely interviewer… it's just so overwhelming._" He laughs nervously and I can't help but realize how cute he'd be if I didn't know he was a psychopathic sadistic maniac.

**Lark, Age 15, District 3**

"Oh my gosh…" I say, pacing back and forth, twiddling my thumbs. A few tributes sit around watching, but most simply don't care, too involved in their own little worlds to think about mine. "I'm going up next… Oh my gosh…"

"Miss Lark," Bo says, standing up and placing his hands on my shoulders. I look up at him, my entire body shaking. "Ya're gonna do fine. Why're ya worrin'?"

"Because," I say, breathing deeply. "I don't talk in front of people. I just don't do it. No! I won't." I cross my arms and sit down in one of the chairs. "I refuse."

"You have to go on." Jennifer says from her seat next to mine.

"I know!" I wail, burying my face in my hands.

"Miss Lark," Bo says, crouching down in front of me. "They are gonna love ya, ya look purdy!" I wear a brown, sleeveless dress that huffs out at my waist, falling in layers to my knees. Over it I wear an off-white jacket, my hair up in a messy bun. I also wear a large brown wooden bracelet and brown ankle boots with three inch heels.

"_Pretty_ isn't good enough." I sniff, looking away from him.

"Well, it's darn lucky yer the smartest cow in the herd, then!" He grins.

"Yeah, I guess… I guess you're right…" I nod. Yes, I'm completely aware he just called me a cow. He had good intentions. Of course, that doesn't change the fact that I'm still so nervous that I'm going to pass out. Oh dear lord… Oh dear lord… Oh god, Kyler is stepping off stage! Oh no… oh no…

"_She's as gentle as a dove, as smart as an owl_…" Someone offstage hits a drum roll effect. "_Lark Mila_!"

"Hi, Berry," I say in a rather high-pitched voice, trotting on stage, my heart pounding in my chest. "I've got to admit, I'm a little nervous…"

"It's alright, I am, too!" Berry laughs loudly as I sight down in the chair. Oh my gosh, all those people looking at me… not to mention everyone in the districts, and all the Capitol people who aren't here… oh my gosh… oh my gosh… "So, Lark, what do you think about your training score?"

"Well," I say taking a deep breath. "My score of four was a little disappointing compared to the scores of the other tributes. The only other tribute who scored as low as me was Siggy, but that is expected from his small size. Pixie, Jade, Alo and Jennifer all tied for seventh place, as far as training scores go. Honestly, I believe that giving Alo a score of five was a mistake, seeing as he preformed adequately during the three training days that we were all together in the same room. As well, I do not believe that Marcella should have scored an eight, as during training all she did was sit and order the Avoxes to get her food and other things. I also find it off that Eden scored a ten, as all she did was worry about her relationship with Dmitri. After looking at all such things, I believe that the Gamemakers were unfocused and scored us, as tributes, wrongly."

"I see." Berry nods. "So clearly, Lark, you are rather smart."

"I am." I nod, smiling slightly, but really feeling like I'm going to throw up.

"What other talents do you have?"

"I'm a good drawer," I say. "But obviously that isn't going to help me much in the Games. I am fast and know a lot about nature. I'm patient and good at hiding. If I didn't want people to know where I am, no one would."

"Interesting…" Berry nods. "So you're smart, patient, and good at hiding."

"Yes," I nod.

"And can you tell us why you think you are going to win the Games, Lark?" He asks.

"I'm smart," I begin. "Certainly more intelligent then the other tributes. While they will be squabbling with their fists in a battle of simple muscle, I will slip away, never to be found until the last tribute stands. And they will know I'm coming, but they won't be able to do a thing about it. I'll strike them down before they even realize I'm there."

"I'm sure you will." Berry smiles, dipping his head. He stretches out his hand and I take it, smiling for an audience that I still really wish wasn't looking at me. "Lark Mila everyone!" I get a decent applause, but not nearly as much as Oak or Kyler.

"See," Bo says as I step back into the room with the other tributes. "Ya did swell."

"Thanks," I chuckle. I glance at the screen. "You're up." Bo saunters up on stage and I have to say… he looks breathtaking. In just a pair of overalls, a straw hat, and cowboy boots, you can see his strong chest moving up and down as he breaths, his tan skin practically glowing in the light. He acts the total farm boy in his interview, polite and sweet just like he really is. It's adorable but I barely pay attention, I'm too busy admiring his beauty. I guess that's a little shallow of me, but I'm an artist, so appearances mean a lot.

Before I know it, he's stepping off stage, waving to the crowd as he makes his way back inside to stand next to me.

"That'n weren't so bad," He drawls.

"If you say so." I sigh as Stella goes on stage in her bikini costume. She wins over the crowd almost instantly in her skimpy outfit coupled with her _fame and glory_ attitude towards the Games. I really hate that girl.

"_My dad died when I was fifteen_." Clay admits when it's his turn for the interview. "_Ever since then it's been pretty hard. Mom had to raise four kids all on her own. My older brother, Tye, and I work at the docks in Four to get money for our family while mom stays home with my little brother, Luka, and my little sister, Mari._"

"_How have Luka and Mari dealt with this_?"

"_Not well_," He shakes his head and I swallow hard. "_Mari is twelve, Luka is nine. I know it hurts them but they try to be strong for Mom. Luka, um… he always used to talk about how he wants to be me when he grows up. I always told him to be _himself_ when he grows up, he never listens. I really miss him._" My heart drops in my chest and my eyes grow watery. That's so horrible. And to think, that little boy is watching this right now, looking at his brother, his hero, who he may never see again.

**Jacob, Age 16, District 5**

"_She's cute, she's tiny, she's the little pixie from District Five_," Berry grins, waving to Pixie as she scampers on stage. "_Azalea Foxglove_!"

"_Hi_!" She chirps, waving happily to the audience, which gives off a loud _awww_.

"_Azalea_-"

"_You can call me Pixie_," She smiles merrily, sitting down. "_Everyone does_."

"_Okay, Pixie_," He smiles. "_I heard it was your birthday_."

"_Yep_," She nods, her hair bouncing. Pixie is dressed in an emerald green dress with a puffy skirt that falls three inches above her skinny knees and a green ribbon tied in the back just under her almost nonexistent breasts, like the matching one used as a headband and tied in a childish bow on her head. Along with this, she also wears green earrings and sparkly green flats, her makeup done to make her look almost like a baby doll. "_I'm turning fourteen_."

"_So, Pixie_," Berry says after getting the entire audience to sing a quick Happy Birthday to her. "_What are you planning to do in the arena to help you survive_?"

"_Berry, I can't tell you that_," She giggles contagiously, making the audience laugh as well. "_But I will tell you that I don't plan to go in alone_." The audience begins whispering amongst themselves. I frown. After a lot more giggling and cute little responses she steps off stage. It's my turn.

"Hey everyone," I smile. "I'm just so hungry to be here!" Everyone laughs. Wow, that was the one of the worst puns I have ever said in my entire life.

"Jacob," Berry begins. "It's nice to have you here."

"I'm berry happy to be here, Berry," I nod, making the audience laugh again. "And you can call me Jake."

"So, Jake," Berry begins. "What makes you so confident that you are going to win the Hunger Games?"

"Well," I scratch my neck. "I'm certainly very experienced with sword fighting, I guess."

"You're experienced?" He asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah," I nod. "Back in District Five we get attacked by a snake mutt every night. It's either know how to fight, or die."

"How horrific," He comments.

"Yeah…" I mutter.

"Have any run ins with this snake mutt have you?"

"N-no," I lie.

"Come on," Berry laughs, patting me on the shoulder and beaming at the audience. "We all know that's not true."

"Well…"

"Come on!"

"My sister was killed by the snake mutt." I blurt and watch the eyes of the audience all grow wide. "It… it was attacking me and she leaped in between us to… to save me."

"Well then," Berry says. "You should have an extra drive to survive then, yes? Can't let her sacrifice go to waist can we?"

"No, Berry. No we can't."

"Well," Berry says, clapping his hands together. "I'm afraid that's all the time we have with Jake here. Say goodbye everyone!" I get a neutral amount of applause. Not very good, but not bad, either. I can live with that.

"Pixie," I say, stepping off stage and walking up to the small girl.

"Yep?" She asks turning around, holding a corndog in one hand and an orange juice-filled coconut in another.

"Look we need to-" I stop myself. "Wait they have coconuts?"

"Yeah, ever since last year when that Taylor guy loved them so much."

"Okay," I pick up my own coconut off the refreshments table and take a sip of orange juice. "Look we need to talk."

"What about?" She grins, and I begin to feel bad. I gently grab her arm, pulling her to the side of the room. Her grin disappears. "What did I do wrong?"

"No, you didn't do anything _wrong_," I say, rubbing my neck. "But you shouldn't have hinted to the alliance. What if the Careers are on to us?"

"Oh, the Careers are on," Lindsey says, walking by and drinking some weird red juice.

"Okay," I look back at Pixie. "I guess it's too late to take it back then."

"Oh my God, Jake, I'm sorry!" Pixie whispers, wrapping her arms around me and burying her face in my shirt. "Look what I've done… I've messed it all up…"

"No you didn't," I reassure her, even though I don't know if what I'm saying is true. I rest my chin on her head and run a hand reassuringly through her hair. "It's okay, Pixie… everything is going to be okay." She swallows hard.

"No it's not."

**Marcella, Age 16, District 6**

They call my name and I make my way up onto the stage gracefully, smiling with pearly white teeth and waving to the crowd. I give a little laugh as I shake hands with Berry, and sit down in the plush Capitol chair provided for me on the stage. I glance up at the screens to see myself, my hair up in an elaborate braided bun on top of my head, and golden heels on my feet. I'm dressed in a violet strapless dress, a golden belt wrapping around my waist to match with my shoes.

"You look beautiful, Marcella." Berry smiles.

"Oh, thank you, Berry," I say, touching a hand gently on his shoulder. "You look stunning, as well."

"Thank you," He dips his head. "But we aren't here to talk about me, now are we? Let's talk about you. I hear that your family back in District Six is rather rich. Is that right?"

"Why yes, yes it is." I nod. "In fact, we first got our fortune from one of my ancestors. He started a shop in District Six for mechanical parts that many people needed to build things like hovercrafts and other transportation vehicles for the Capitol. It had better quality items then any of the competition so it naturally thrived. Now, half of the district is in my father's employment."

"How very interesting," He says.

"Isn't it?" I beam, tilting my head a little. "And, you see, I really think that my ancestor's adaptability was passed down to me."

"You think it's going to help you win the Games, then?"

"No, Berry. I don't think. I'm positive."

My interview goes smoothly. I'd even say it goes brilliantly. I get a pretty nice response, not as much as the Careers, of course, but still… it's a lot for a rich girl from Six. I have plenty of charisma, and a whole lot of experience with playing nice with people whom I can't stand. That came in handy just now.

Kestrel goes on stage and I'm reminded just why he freaks me out so much.

"_Kestrel, your sister Peregrine was in last year's Games, was she not?_"

"_She was_…" Kestrel growls and I watch all the other tributes freeze, eyes glued on the TV.

"_How did you feel when she volunteered for the Reaping_?" Berry asks.

"_Happy_." Kestrel replies, his face expressionless, and I hear the crowd gasp.

"_I see_." Berry nods. "_Did you know in advance that she was going to volunteer_?"

"_No. It was a complete surprise. A good one, actually_." He says, complete hatred lacing his voice. I swallow hard and glance over at Monroe, who sits, blue eyes staring at the screen, not making a sound. She must have picked up a few tricks about poker faces from Kestrel.

"_So, Kestrel, you make it sound like you hated your sister_."

"_I do hate her_."

"_Why_?"

"_Because I'm her brother…_" He hisses. "_You're supposed to love your family no matter what._ No matter what! _She didn't love me, but that's no surprise. No one_ really _loves me. But she didn't love anyone. Not Dad, not Mom before she left… Peregrine_ _wasn't a human. She was a monster_."

**Dmitri, Age 15, District 7**

Eden does alright in the interview; she certainly doesn't do badly. She acts herself, and I can tell this gets the audience to like her, but it might not be enough to earn her sponsors.

Finally, it's my turn.

The response from the audience at my outfit is hilarious. The men sort of just stare at me like I'm insane, some of them covering their children's eyes. The girls just kind of stare, dumb smiles on their faces. Why? I just walked on stage in my underwear.

"Well," Berry says, swallowing uncomfortably as I sit down, folding my hands behind my head and stretching my legs out. "That's a very… _unique_… costume, Dmitri. What-what happened with this? Is there a story behind it?"

"Yeah, actually," I nod, leaning forward and rubbing my hands together. "The costume my stylist gave me was… well, it was cramping my style. So I ditched the 'stume and went for something a little more flattering."

"I see," He nods, coughing a little. "So how do you like the Capitol, Dmitri?"

"Oh, I _really_ like the Capitol." I say, winking at a few girls in the front row. They squeal, immediately dropping their homemade signs with _Oak_ on them. It sounds somewhat like dying pigs.

"That's great," Berry nods, rubbing his neck, still obviously uncomfortable. He still won't look at me directly. Well, _someone's_ a little squeamish. "How do you like the food?"

"Oh, it's delicious," I nod, licking my lips, eliciting more happy squeaks from the girls in the audience. If that isn't the sign of a loyal sponsor, I don't know what is.

**Jennifer, Age 18, District 8**

"I'm _sure_ that I'm going to win, Berry." I lie, sitting on stage in a gorgeous flowing dress, peacock feathers woven into the skirt and train. They've been placed in my hair as well, making it look as if I wear a crown made out of them. My eye shadow is a rainbow of green, brown and blue, matching the gorgeous feathers. Temporary peacock feather tattoos have been placed on my arms, along with one of my left cheek.

I know that my mentor keeps trying to reassure Siggy and I, but I know that I'm not coming out of the arena. Why should I expect to? I'm not better then the other tributes. I'm not stronger or faster then any of them. I'm horrible with weapons, and although I'm a teacher, I'm still not the smartest tribute here. That's either Lark or Tori, for sure. I'm not special, I don't stand out. I'm going to die in the arena, it's my fate and I know it. I just want to make sure that Siggy survives long enough to be remembered. That's all I want. I want people to remember to little boy who volunteered for the Games for pride and honor that wouldn't even be his if he won… the little boy who risked everything for nothing.

**Sigmund, Age 12, District 8**

I go on stage after Ms. Dulrek steps off, dressed in a pair of pajamas and cradling an oversized teddy bear in my arms. My hair is ruffled as if I just got out of bed and I suck my thumb as I sit down. My mentor told me to try to look as cute as possible, that I need as many sponsors as I can get. So basically I'm being presented as a pity case. Mother isn't going to like that.

**Aries, Age 17, District 10**

Everyone loves Siggy, and I do mean love. They all just thought he was so cute and sweet. That little kid is not going to be hungry from the moment he sets foot in the arena, everything is going to be given to him on a silver plate. Or at least that's what I see happening.

Its Adela's turn next. She steps on stage in the tiniest, skimpiest dress that I've ever seen. And that's saying something considering the places I've had to sleep outside at night sometimes back home.

"_I've showed less skin while tanning_." She jokes and the crowd laughs.

"_So, Adela_," Berry continues. "W_hat'd you think of Siggy? The crowd seemed to favor the little thing_."

She thinks for a moment. "_He reminds me of how Alo used to suck his thumb in his sleep. He did that until he was thirteen, you know_."

"_I did not used to suck my thumb_!" Alo says the moment he goes for his interview, clearly annoyed, dressed in a blue suit that compliments his sister's outfit. "_She is totally bluffing. That never happening! Okay, so maybe it happened, but just once! Just one time, that only happened one time_!"

"_Okay, I got it_," Berry laughs. "_Now Alo, you volunteered for the Games, didn't you? And you did this after your sister had already been reaped. Now, why did you do that?_"

"_To protect her_."

"_Hi, Berry_!" Lindsey squeaks, bouncing on stage when she's called up. I can practically feel the interest levels of the room rise. Everyone wants to know what she's going to do. We also want to know why she's holding a suspicious red liquid in a shot glass.

"_Hello, Lindsey_," Berry nods, motioning for her to sit down. Lindsey is dressed much like she was for the Reaping, in a puffy black skirt with a red trim, a black baby doll shirt, red fingerless gloves and red combat boots that go up to her knees. Her hair is done in two pig tails, one side died completely black and the other red, the two colors split right down the middle where her part is. I wonder if that's permanent…

"_Try this_!" Lindsey says, shoving the shot glass towards Berry.

"_Um_," He chuckles, taking the glass tentatively. "_What is it_?"

"_It's just a drink from my District, everyone loves it back there. Try it_!" She prompts, smiling maliciously.

"_Okay_…" He says slowly, raising it to his lips and taking a swallow. "_This is delicious! What is it?_"

"_Raccoon blood_." She replies simply. While Berry rushes off the stage to throw up, she reaches behind a curtain and pulls out an entire metal bucket of the stuff and starts pouring it all over everyone in the first three rows. After a few minutes of this, a peacekeeper comes to take her off stage and she whacks him upside the head with her metal bucket. The dude is out cold. She laughs hysterically before running off stage screaming about narwhals and bubble gum.

"_On to Aries then…_" Berry mutters, lumbering back on stage and sitting down. I take a deep breath before making my way out in front of the crowd, dressed in a dark red tuxedo with black trim. "Hello Aries." I nod a response. "So, how do you like the Capitol?"

"It's fine."

"Seen any girls you like?"

"Not really."

"Of course not, you have a girl back at home, don't you?"

"Yes."

"So, Aries, she kissed you, didn't she? The girl at the Reaping?"

"Yes."

"Was that the first time?"

"Yes."

"Do you love her?"

"Yes."

**Fortis, Age 18, District 11**

I'm freaking out. I still can't find Animi. He's nowhere in sight; I haven't seen him since yesterday! Jade goes up dressed like a schoolgirl and predictably acts flirty and sexy, but I don't listen or watch. My pup has gone missing!

Eventually it's my turn as well and I barely pay attention to the questions I'm asked, not really sure what I'm even saying to each question. My eyes wander through the crowd, looking for any signs of the poor little thing. I still can't find him. What am I going to do?

**Tori, Age 17, District 12**

I hate being one of the last people in the interviews. It's horrible! I have to sit here nervously just listening to everyone else talk about themselves and act however they've been told to whilst I am just sitting here about to explode from nervousness. It's terrible. It takes an eternity for them to finally call me up for my interview, and by now I am ready to burst with anxiety.

"Hello, Tori," Berry begins, just like he has begun with everyone else. "It's nice to have you here!"

"It's nice to be here." I lie, sitting down. I'm in a midnight blue dress that clings to my figure with hints of green on the sleeves and the bottom of the skirt, and matching four inch high heels along with a bracelet and necklace of the same color. The dress ties around my neck by two strips of fabric like some bathing suits do, showing off the smooth skin of my back.

All in all, my interview goes well. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to appear smart after the high standard that Lark set with the training scores, but I did rather well with making inferences about the arena and who was most likely to die in the blood bath. I said in short that, first off, the arena this year would have to be very different from last year's arena, with the snowy forest, the crumbling castle and the graveyard. I have a feeling that it's going to be something no one would expect, something that you wouldn't be able to guess. I said that there wouldn't be anything manmade in this arena like the castle or the graveyard, that it would be all natural. I also said that I thought that food would be much harder to find. Last year, barely anyone was going hungry. I think that this year, that might be a little different. I also said that at least one Career is going to die in the bloodbath. They just aren't focused this year.

Altair goes on stage and the effect of the audience is almost instant. He starts twitching way more then usual, and right in the middle of his interview he starts calling himself Aiden and leaps at Berry, knocking him from his chair and almost strangling the poor interviewer. Luckily, the peacekeepers get him with a sedative before he does any real damage. Poor Berry. He's just not having a good night.


	9. Welcome to the Arena

**Eden, Age 15, District 7**

I wake up to a horrible ringing, the sound bouncing off the bare walls of my room and making me shriek in shock. I fall off the bed and look around, trying to find the source of the noise. It stops and I breathe in relief but groan as it picks up again. I listen intently and follow the sound to an odd, metal rectangular prism sitting on my bedside table. One of the buttons is glowing red. Hesitantly, I press it.

"_Eden_!" I leap backwards in shock as Kyler's voice comes out of the object. "_How are you feeling_?" I can practically feel the demented grin that's no doubt alight on his face.

"What do you want?" I growl, sitting up against my bedpost. I realize that the object we're speaking through is referred to as a phone. They don't have them in any of the outlying districts, and even then they are very expensive and only in One and Two.

"_I don't like your tone, Baby Doll_." I hear Lindsey cackle over the line. Lindsey is in Kyler's room? How'd she even get in there?

"What do you want?" I repeat, growing increasingly annoyed.

"_I just want to make sure that you remembered our little arrangement_." Kyler says. "_The one we made last night at the interviews…_"

"I remember," I murmur, staring at the wall.

"_Good_," He chuckles. "_Wouldn't want you forgetting, now, would we? If you did, the consequences could be severe_."

"I know," I say, gritting my teeth.

"_Have a nice day, then_." Kyler hisses. "_And may the odds be ever in _our_ favor_."

**Jade, Age 18, District 11**

"Jade," I hear a soft voice say, knocking quietly on the door. I look up as Abby pokes her head in, her blue eyes resting on me sitting with my back against the wall and my legs pulled up to my chest. "I'm afraid its time to go…"

"I know what time it is!" I snap.

"Jade," She says, walking into the room. "You're going to be fine as long as you don't go into the bloodbath. Don't worry about it. You'll be safe."

"_Sure_," I nod sarcastically, looking away from her so she doesn't see the tears. I'm going to die today. I just know it. And no one even feel bad about my death… not even my own mother. She never really cared for me. I'm a mistake, a constant reminder of everything she regrets. She won't miss me when I'm gone.

**Bo, Age 16, District 3**

"Are ya ready?" I ask, turning to Lark. She sits on the couch, her eyes closed as she breathes deeply.

"Yeah…" She nods.

"Ya don't look vera good…" I say, sitting down next to her and taking her hands in mine.

"Yeah, I, um," She murmurs, not looking at me. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

I shake my head. "I don't think any of us did."

**Oak, Age 17, District 1**

"Come along, children!" My escort beams, trotting out onto the rooftop ahead of us. "You are the last ones to arrive and you really must be getting on the hovercraft. Chop, chop!" We walk out into the sun, the light momentarily hurting my eyes. The rooftop is grey and bare, but the Capitol stretches out before it in every direction, like a beautiful painting. A sick, twisted painting. The hovercraft floats in the air above our heads, two rope ladders dangling down for us to grab onto.

"This is it…" I mutter as we reach the ropes, pausing for a moment. I glance over at Monroe, dressed in a fluttery white sundress, weeping silently. "Hey," I reach over and brush the tears from her face. She looks up at me for a second and she moves forward, wrapping her arms around me in an embrace. I blink in surprise, but envelope her in a hug as well, cherishing her warmth. After all, this may be the last time I ever see her. The thought threatens to overwhelm me but I push the idea out of my mind. "It's going to be okay, Monroe… I promise."

We step onto the rope ladders and instantly I'm frozen solid as they raise us higher into the air. They eventually pull us into the hovercraft and let us move freely, but not before they insert a tracker into each of our arms. I step into the cockpit holding the tributes, studying the room for a moment, along with all the somber faces held within it. It's a sort of pentagonal room, the walls curving in several spots to form the familiar shape. The entire place is grey and black, reminding us all of the horrors that lay ahead. Its dark and cold, the entire construct made of metal. Tributes sit on either of the two benches, some holding each other, others sitting by their lonesome trying to be brave. I sit down in an empty seat next to the other Careers.

"So then," Lindsey laughs. "The guy goes, 'You go up there and tell him off. Go on, I'll hold your monkey for you!'" She and Kyler burst out laughing while Clay, Claudia, Stella and I all exchange looks. This is going to be one long hovercraft ride, but in the end it won't matter. Getting to the Games is what matters. I just hope Monroe will be okay.

**Marcella, Age 16, District 6**

The windows of the hovercraft dim as we approach the arena. I find myself singing softly under my breath, as I tend to do when I'm scared.

"_Everyone wants to feel safe in the dark_

_Everyone wants to feel safe in the dark_

_Forces unseen pulling strings in your heart_

_Everyone wants to feel sake in the dark_…"

"You have a pretty voice." Dmitri whispers from where he sits next to me. I jump. I didn't know he could hear that.

"Thanks," I smile faintly. The peacekeepers begin placing blindfolds on us and I try to keep them from putting it on me, but it's no use. The dark cloth covers my face, I can't see anything. Darkness… everywhere I look, all I can see is darkness. It's everywhere… it's everywhere…

A hand rests on my shoulder and I shove it away. Two more come towards me and I swat them off. What's going on?!

"Marcella," I hear Dmitri say softly. My head turns towards the direction that the voice is coming from. "Calm down. It's just the peacekeepers leading you. It's okay…" After a few seconds I nod, reaching out tentatively with a hand. It makes contact with a gloved one and I stand. It leads me away from the voices of the other tributes. The arms of the peacekeeper guide mine to a rope and then my feet as well. I feel myself freeze and panic once again. I can't move… I'm in the dark and I can't move… oh my gosh. I begin to feel myself lowering and feel strong winds buffering me from every side. If I could move, I'd be screaming my head off. Oh my gosh, I'm in the air… I can't see anything! Where am I? Am I above the arena? It's so dark… so dark.

I feel my tears staining the blindfold and suddenly the wind stops, the air becoming stale. I continue to descend, however. I must be underground, under the arena. Oh my gosh… it's so dark… so… so dark… A peacekeeper removes my blindfold and I breathe a sigh of relief. I find myself able to move again and step off of the rope ladder. Several peacekeepers lead me down a dark hallway. It has no windows and only a few doors, all of which are guarded and have locks installed in them. We walk up to a certain door with _6F_ written on it in black letters. They unlock the door and I step inside, looking over my shoulder to see them closing the door behind me.

"Hello, Marcella," My stylist says, taking a step towards me. I didn't realize he was there.

"Arty!" I exclaim, walking over to shake hands with him. "W-why are you here?"

"I just have to get you into uniform." He says, sadness hidden in his voice. It takes only a minute or so before I'm standing in front of the mirror. I'm wear a grey jacket over a black tank top, tight black pants that cling to my figure like leggings, a grey belt, and grey sneakers with rubber soles.

"_Twenty seconds_" A female voice says over the intercom.

"I guess this is goodbye then…" I breathe, not looking at Arty but just staring at the circular metal platform I'm expected to step onto. Arty doesn't say a word, just watches as I tentatively take a step forward, holding my breath. I look back at him.

"_Ten seconds_"

"Good luck, Marcella," He says.

"Thank you," I nod, tears streaming down my cheeks now. I let out a small squeak as the glass door closes behind me. The space is so tiny, I can barely breathe! I feel like I'm inside a walnut. I need to get out. I bang on the glass, my blonde hair falling in my eyes as my head whips around frantically and I try to find an escape. There is none. I yelp as I begin to move upwards. I think I see where I come out through the floor but… there's not light there. Oh my gosh, there is no light there! What kind of arena doesn't have light?!

I let out a shriek as I become immersed completely in darkness. It swarms all around me, lashing out at my very soul. I can practically feel it crawling into my body and leaching on my soul. It buffers me from every angle, tempting to take my over with its icy grip.

My eyes begin to adjust, however, and I begin to see. I stand on a metal plate, just like all the others, surrounding a huge metal construct. _The cornucopia_. The thing is surrounded by piles and piles of weapons. They litter the cold, grey, stone ground like toys across the floor of a child's bedroom. I look behind me only to see a rocky wall pointing at me with jagged fingers, stalactites hanging from the ceiling, dripping water down into pools on the cavern floor. Tunnels branch out from the main cave, some seeming to curve around, some going upwards, and some going down, deeper into the ground. Even the floor itself looks cold and sharp. I'd hate to fall here, but that's the least of my worries. The darkness… it's still there, trying to claw its way into my mind. It's all over, trying to devour my soul.

"STAY AWAY!" I scream, crumbling to my knees and letting my hair fall into my face.

The darkness… it's everywhere…

**Dmitri, Age 15, District 7**

_Ten_. The holographic numbers project themselves above the cornucopia, tinting the cavern in its blue light. The cave seems to be light by something other then that, as well. I can't really find the source of the light allowing us to see, but then it occurs to me that the Gamemakers don't want us to see it. They want this to be just like real underground tunnels, but we have to see. So the light… it's coming off the rocks, the walls themselves.

_Nine_. Marcella is freaking out, coming dangerously close to stepping off of her platform. She keeps screaming at nothing, as if she sees something there, something that she thinks can hear her. I feel a twinge of pain in my stomach. I always liked her, kind of like a sister… a really annoying, bratty, crazy sister. She can't survive the Bloodbath in that kind of panic.

_Eight_. They haven't gotten as much in the Cornucopia as they have in the past. Still, it's a lot, but not as much. So, either the Capitol is running low on funds, which I find a little hard to believe, or they want us to strike out on our own, kill things with our own hands… like barbarians… or cavemen.

_Seven_. I'm smarter then people give me credit for, you know. I know better then to go into the Bloodbath. It isn't worth the risk. Eden knows not to go into the Bloodbath, also, I made sure of it myself. The second the clock hits zero we're both going to spin around and race away. There's a tunnel right behind me seeming to curve upwards.

_Six_. The sound of rushing water echoes constantly throughout the underground arena, the noise bouncing off walls and reverberating inside my head. It seems to be coming from the tunnels running deeper underground. If there is water down there, the other tributes will head there. We'll stay in the higher tunnels. We'll be able to get all the water we need from the stalactites.

_Five_. I glance over at Eden. Her eyes meet mine and I flash her an encouraging smile. She's scared, terrified really. I can still see the trails the tears left behind from this morning where they dripped down her gentle face. I hope she'll be okay. Mentally, I mean.

_Four_. The time is almost up, and it's a little nerve-racking. I glance around, looking at the faces of the others. So many are about to get hurt, so many about to die. It's sick, and not in a good way.

_Three_. I don't want to be here. If I had a choice, I'd be back at home with my parents and my four siblings, watching the Games on our TV and pretending not to take anything seriously, just like I always do. I hope they're alright without me there to lighten the mood a little.

_Two_. You know, I've never really realized how much that I had until now. I have plenty of food, a warm home… it's more then a lot of the other tributes did. I took it for granted. It's all gone now, though, and I may never get to go back to it.

_One_. I know better then to regret. Regrets just hold you down. They taint you, really, make you jaded and hold you down. I can't afford that right now. There is no point in them anyway. Just because you want something to change doesn't make it so.

_Zero. _

I regret nothing.

I spin around on my heels and race towards the tunnel, only to find that Eden isn't following me. I turn as screams begin to fill the air to watch her racing into the Bloodbath. Panic and adrenaline rush through my system as I go after her, my feet pounding against the hard floor. My brain doesn't seem to be able to form words as I try to keep up with her, fear clouding my mind and judgment. She's fast on her feet, faster then I thought, and when I get a glimpse of her face she doesn't look the least bit afraid. What happened to her?

I skid to a stop and watch horror struck as Kyler holds his arm out and Eden uses it like a gymnast would use a beam, flipping into the air and snatching an axe of a nearby pile at the same time. Aries turns around and her feet hit him squarely in the chest, and even though he's twice her size the impact sends him reeling over. As she falls, Eden uses to momentum to swing her axe up over her head… and down into Aries' skull. His blood splatters her face and he stops twitching after a few seconds, his body growing still. He's… he's dead. I swallow hard and back away before whirling around and racing towards the nearest tunnel. It's narrow and dark, with less light even then the cavern, and it slops downward towards the sound of the water, but I don't care. I just need to get away from here, away from Eden… before she kills me, too.

**Fortis, Age 18, District 11**

The countdown ends and I break into a run, my eyes locked on a sword, its golden hilt gleaming in the half light. I dodge around fighting tributes, wrapping my fingers around the handle. I slide the sheath onto my belt and wield the weapon in my hands as I glance around, my eyes coming to rest on a wide tunnel with a tall roof, the pathway curving out of sight.

I race towards it, ignoring someone else's blood as the warm liquid sloshes onto my shoes and seeps through the material, oozing in around my toes. I don't want to know whose blood this is.

I yell out in pain as I feel a blade slice into my right shoulder. I clutch at it instinctively with my left hand and spin around to face my assailant. Claudia stands before me, a machete held in one hand and a dagger in the other. She lungs forwards, raising the machete before bringing it down towards my neck, ready to slice my head off. I deflect it with my sword and my days in training take over. One second I'm dodging a swipe of her dagger and the next my sword has imbedded itself in her chest and I'm inches away from her face, my blue eyes glaring into her shocked green ones. My mouth drops open and I pull my sword from her body, the blade dripping with crimson blood. She swallows hard, a trembling hand feeling at the wound, the scarlet liquid coming off onto her hands and dripping down her arms, drops falling like tears to splatter the ground. She falls to her knees, her eyes still set firmly on my face. There is no anger there, no rage, only pain and regret.

I stumble backwards, almost tumbling to the ground myself as I trip over a loose stone. I can't take my eyes off of her as she collapses onto the ground, her eyes clouding over and her blood pooling on the ground.

"Claudia!" Clay shouts, horrified, seeing the girl I've just murdered lying there motionlessly. It shakes me from my trance and I force myself to move despite the fact that my appendages all feel like lead. I back into the tunnel and flee down it, letting myself become immersed in the shadows.

**Stella, Age 17, District 4**

I reach the Cornucopia and step inside the hollow metal construct, my eyes scanning for one thing. I finally find it and throw the quiver over my shoulder. Stepping back out into the thick of the fighting, I let an arrow fly at the first person I see… who happens to be Jade. She was crouching over a pile of supplies and her hand had just rested on a knife kit when my arrow found its way into her chest. Shocked, the kit falls from her hands and clatters to the ground as she falls back to lay sprawled across the hard ground. I take a step closer, my eyes narrowed.

"I just missed your heart." I say coldly. I load another arrow and watch as it flies almost in slow motion and penetrates her chest. Her eyes roll back in her head and she stops breathing.

I turn to watch everyone fighting around me, feeling sick to my stomach. The world begins to spin and I lean against the wall of the cornucopia for support as my vision blurs. My head throbs and my knees shake. I just killed Jade.

**Lindsey, Age 16, District 10**

"I got your nose," I hiss at Marcella, letting the blade of my knife slice into the skin. I have to give it an especially sharp push when it reaches bone, but after that, the thing just comes right off, falling into the palm of my hand as she screams blood murder. I don't know how she's still conscious since I've already cut off all her toes on her left foot, her right thumb, and both of her ears. I wave her nose in front of her face, blood splattering the bridge of her nose and her forehead. Her eyes close for the last time and I sigh in relief. Took her long enough! My hand was starting to get tired.

"Lindsey!" Kyler snaps, and his hand smacks into my face just as I'm turning around to greet him. I frown at the sudden contact but look up at him, waiting for him to speak. He glowers down at me, wiping a drop of blood off my cheek with a scowl. "We don't have time for you to perform your dramatic murders! Come on, we need to…" He chuckles to himself. "Get to work."

**Monroe, Age 15, District One**

I watch, biting the inside of my lip so hard I begin to taste blood, as Kestrel works his way through the mass of fighting people, trying to get to supplies that we'll be able to use. I have myself pressed up against a wall, hoping that no one will see me trying to blend into the shadows. I take a sharp intake of breath as I look to the other side of the cave to see Lindsey pointing straight at Kestrel. Kyler, picking up a silver spear, begins to make his way towards him. Oh no!

"Kestrel!" I shout fruitlessly. He doesn't hear me. I… I have to go in. I gather up what little courage I have before breaking out into a full run, leaping over piles of supplies and darting in between warring tributes in the desperate hopes that I'll get there before Kyler. "Kestrel!" I say, racing to his side.

"You were supposed to stay on the edges of the fight, Monroe." He hisses, looking around in fear. "Why are you here?"

"Kyler is…" I trail off as some one taps me on the shoulder. I whirl around just as Kyler's fist smashes into my face and I feel my cheekbone crack. I fall to the ground and a rock scraps up my leg. I look up and watch in shock as Kestrel launches a knife at Kyler, but the Career dodges, using the momentum to kick Kestrel in the stomach. My ally tumbles to the ground, eyes squeezed shut in pain. I shriek and run to his side, trying desperately to shake him awake.

"It's nice to see you again, Monroe," Kyler growls, raising a spear above his head. I swallow hard and consider running but it wouldn't matter. He would just throw it, and I refuse to leave Kestrel, not now. "But I'm afraid that this little confrontation will be our last."

I close my eyes and raise my chin, preparing myself for the spear to pierce my body, finding its way into my heart. It doesn't come however, but I do hear a scream of agony. My eyes flash open to find Oak kneeling down in front of me, the spear protruding from his own chest.

"OAK!" I shriek, tears streaming down my cheeks as he falls to the ground. I catch his head just before it makes contact with the floor and I cradle it in my lap, brushing dark hair out of his eyes. "Why would you do that?"

"I love you," He whispers, reaching up and grabbing onto my hand with his own.

"Kyler!" Lindsey shouts to the man still towering over us, a smug grin on his face as he watches his former ally bleeding over the stones. "You've got to come see Marcella's bone marrow, it's so cool!"

"I thought I told you to leave her body!" He shouts, storming off. I look back down at Oak who reaches up with blood-covered fingers to caress my cheek.

"I just want you to be happy." He smiles, blood dripping down his chin. He glances over at Kestrel, who is slowly picking himself up off the floor. "If… if he makes you happy… so be it."

"Oak, you shouldn't have sacrificed yourself for me," I sob. "Why would you do that?"

"Because you're worth it." He whispers before pausing. "You have pretty eyes… don't hide them." I choke up as he stops breathing.

"No…" I murmur. "Oak!"

"Monroe," Kestrel says coming up behind me. "We have to go, now."

"But, Oak, he-" I begin.

"Leave him."

"But-"

"Leave him!" He insists.

I shriek as he wraps his arms around my waist and begins pulling me towards one of the tunnels. "No, NO! No…" And with that, Oak disappears from my sight as I'm dragged away. He saved my life. Now he's dead. And I'll never see him again.

**Jacob, Age 16, District 5**

I yelp in pain as a projectile flies through the air and smacks into my eye. My hand flies up instinctively, and the second it does I feel my sword wrestled out of my grip and hear it clatter to the ground. I stumble backwards and my back makes contact with the wall. Great. I have no where you to go.

"You have good aim…" I breathe, opening my eye but only seeing darkness. I blink a few times. Still nothing.

"I have a habit of hitting people in the eye." Alo replies with a shrug before lashing out and punching me in the jaw. I let out a grunt. The little twerp reaches down and pulls a tiny knife up to my throat. "I'm going to have to apologize to Tinkerbelle for this later."

"Apology accepted." Alo's eyes as grow wide and I look down to see the blade of a machete jutting out of his chest, blood pouring from the wound like a crimson river. He collapses onto the ground in a heap.

"Dad always said the best way to someone's heart was between the third and forth rib with a sharp blade." I mutter, stepping over his body to get away from the wall. I look up to see Pixie shaking uncontrollably, her machete having fallen to the floor and her eyes as wide as they could possibly stretch. "Pixie?"

She doesn't respond, doesn't even acknowledge that I spoke.

"Pixie, what's wrong with you?" I ask, grabbing her shoulders and giving her a tiny shake.

"What have I done…?" She murmurs so quietly it's almost inaudible. She doesn't look at me like she should, her eyes rest on a spot next to my head. "What… what have I…?"

"Pixie, I get that you're upset." I say, glancing around nervously. "But right now we really need to move."

"What have I…?" She breathes. "What… done… I?"

"We can talk about this later." I say, reaching down and picking up my sword, sliding it back onto my belt. I pick her up and hoist her over my shoulder. She doesn't make a sound or even move. It's like she doesn't even know that I picked her up! I watch as Kestrel drags Monroe into one of the tunnels and I go after them, looking back over my shoulder to signal to Tori where we went. She stands amongst the fighting, barely missing arrows as they're launched her way. She nods, and I follow Kestrel into the darkness.

**Adela, Age 15, District 9**

Alo? Where is he? I can't find him anywhere. I told him not to go into the bloodbath but he just wouldn't listen to me. Jake and Pixie race into one of the tunnels and something in my peripheral vision catches my eye: my brother, lying dead and broken on the floor, blood pouring from a gruesome wound.

"ALO!" I scream, rushing to his side. I rest my head on his chest, listening for any signs of life. He's… he's dead. I narrow my tear-filled eyes, pulling his silver band off his wrist and sliding it on my own. Dried blood stains his token, but I don't care. It's all I have left of him now. My memory flashes back to the two tributes that just made their escape into the tunnels. They killed my brother… so I will kill them.

**Lark, Age 15, District 3**

I snatch the backpack off the ground, not slowing in speed, as I continue to race forward towards to Cornucopia with my eyes set firmly on a crossbow. That's all we need and then we can get out of this massacre before either of us are hurt to badly. I practically fly over the ground until my fingers wrap around the wood of the weapon. As I turn, I find a trident soaring straight at my head. It mostly misses me, but it skims my ear, leaving a small chink in the skin, hot blood beginning to slowly trickle out of the wound. I race past Clay and back to the edges of the battle where Bo stands leaning up against the wall and trying not to get noticed.

"I got it." I say, skidding to a halt and handing him the loaded crossbow along with its arrows.

"Let's go." He nods and I run ahead towards the nearest tunnel. I hear a scream and spin around to see Jennifer falling to the ground, one of Bo's arrows in her. Siggy runs to her side and crouches down to pull the arrow from her neck. Bo reloads and he aims straight at Siggy's chest.

"No!" I shout, not quite remembering the dash to where I stand now, my arms wrapped protectively around Siggy's small shoulders. "Bo, he's just a kid."

"He's a threat." Bo growls.

"He can come with us!" I argue as I feel the boy's tears falling onto my arms. He's trembling, and he turns to bury his face in my shirt, tiny fists clutching onto the fabric. I feel my heart melt and glare up at Bo, my eyes determined. "He _is_ coming with us."

Bo sighs. "Fine." He takes off down the tunnel and we follow him, our feet slapping against the ground. The floor gets smoother in this tunnel, the roof a few feet above our heads but the walls growing so close together that we have to turn sideways at times to fit through.

"I think we should take a break." I announce finally as we reach a wider part of the tunnel, big enough for all of us to sit down comfortably.

"Yeah, I be guessin' so." Bo nods, flopping onto the ground and leaning up against the cave wall. I sit a little ways away, Siggy next to me, and watch as he twiddles his thumbs, refusing to look at me.

"You haven't said anything since the bloodbath…" I say quietly so that Bo won't be able to hear.

"There's nothing to say." Siggy replies in a tiny voice. He looks up at me, his big brown eyes looking troubled. "Thank you… for saving me."

"Don't thank me," I shake my head. "I wasn't going to let you get hurt. You're too young to be in all this."

"And yet it's my own fault that I'm here…" He grumbles, picking up a loose pebble and running his fingers over its rough surface.

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"I volunteered," He whispers. "Because my mother wanted me to."

"Why would she want her own son to go into the Hunger Games?" I ask, revolted at the thought.

"She says that I'd bring honor and pride to our district for winning at such a young age." He replies.

"But…" I begin, my eyes still wide as I try to understand whatever his mother must have been thinking when she forced her own child to volunteer. Surely she knows that he won't return to her? "A twelve year old winning… that's only been done once, right?"

"Yes…" He says quietly. "By my father."

**Clay, Age 18, District 4**

"Aw, Clau…" I breathe, studying her cold body lying dead amongst the stones. "Look what you got yourself into."

"Here," Stella says, crouched beside me. She brushes her hand over Claudia's face, closing her startling green eyes slowly. "Now she could be sleeping."

"Yeah," I say, smiling sadly, choking back sobs. "Yeah she could."

"Oak died, too." Altair growls, leaning up against the cave wall a little ways away, his arms crossed over his massive chest. His eye twitches and he looks like he's about to lose it. He's been worse then normal ever since we got down here and has me thinking that it's something to do with small spaces, or the dark maybe.

Lindsey stands on the other side of the room, prodding dead bodies with her feet and singing to herself. Over her shoulder, she holds a giant red and black wooden hammer. The thing is bigger then her head and I'm not sure I'm okay with her having it. If she swung it up against a wall the entire place would no doubt come falling down on top of us.

"_We're ashes to ashes, bones to paste_

_ We wither away in our resting place_

_ Eternity in a wooden case_

_ We all fall down_

_ La la la la la la la la la la la_

_ La la la la la la la la la la-_ AHH!"

"If you don't shut up," Kyler yells, tackling her and knocking her hammer away. He pins her to the ground and pulls a knife out of his pocket. We all have one just in case we need it, along with our main weapons. He slowly brings the blade up to her face and presses the tip into her cheek drawing out a drop of blood. "I'm going to mutilate you until even your own mother wouldn't recognize you."

"Joke's on you, then!" Lindsey laughs hysterically. "I don't have a mother!"

"Well that sure explains a lot…" Eden mutters from where she sits crossed-legged, leaning up against the wall of the cornucopia.

"Kyler," I say, raising to my feet and making my way over to them, careful to stay out of range of his knife. "Save it for the other tributes."

"Fine," He groans, giving Lindsey a peck on the cheek before standing up. She smiles and rises to her feet as well, giving him a giant hug, which he welcomes. I will never understand those two.

**Tori, Age 17, District 12**

"We should stop here." I say as we emerge in a decent sized cavern. The walls are moist and glisten, while the sound of rushing water echoes through the cave. It's louder here then it was at first, and since we've been moving steadily downwards it signals that the source of the sound is coming from somewhere deep in the earth.

"Yeah," Jake nods. Pixie is clutching onto his arm as if it's a lifeline, her entire body trembling so much that I'm occasionally worried that it'll get so bad she won't be able to walk. We left the cornucopia a few hours ago and we must have gotten a decent distance away from it by now, but who knows where the other tributes are in this labyrinth.

"He died…" Monroe whispers, her head rested on Kestrel's shoulder.

"I know." He nods, arms crossed but expression unreadable.

"He died right in front of me…" She murmurs.

I glance over at Jake and Pixie.

"Pixie, it's okay." He says.

"I k-killed him," She breathes shakily.

"You had to," Jake soothes. "Otherwise he would have killed me."

"I killed him…" She repeats, staring at the wall.

"Its okay, Pixie, you-"

"No, it's not!" She snaps, her hostility and the sudden raise in her voice making us all jump. Tears stream down her cheeks and she still doesn't look at anyone, just staring at the wall as if she thinks it is the one she's talking to, not Jake. "It's not okay. I killed him."

* * *

**Tributes killed in this chapter**

Oak, Age 17, District 1

Claudia, Age 18, District 2

Marcella, Age 16, District 6

Jennifer, Age 18, District 8

Alo, Age 15, District 9

Aries, Age 1, District 10

Jade, Age 18, District 11

**Alliances**

Careers- Kyler, Stella, Clay, Lindsey, Altair, Eden. Location: Bloodbath Cavern, level five

Alliance 1- Jake, Pixie, Kestrel, Monroe, Tori. Location: Reverberating Cave, level six

Alliance 2- Bo, Lark, Siggy. Location: The Main Northeast Tunnel, level five

Loner- Dmitri. Location: The West Passage, level seven

Loner- Fortis. Location: The Main Southwest Tunnel, level five

Loner- Adela. Location: The Escape Tunnel, level six


	10. Poison

**Chapter ten already? Wow! So, it's day two in the arena! At first I was going to make this a family chapter with a song and all that stuff that I'm apparently famous for (you know, that person that when you go to describe them you say, "the girl named after the flower that always does family and song chapters"), but I decided not to since the timing didn't feel right. Alrighty, so there is some foreshadowing in this chapter... well, there is foreshadowing in all the chapters, actually, haha. So, with that said, who is ready to take a ride on the crazy train? :D**

* * *

**Sigmund, Age 12, District 8**

"Siggy," I hear someone say gently.

"Mom…" I grumble, reaching for my pillow so I can put it over my head. When my hand only finds thin air I resort to covering my ears with my hands and curling up tightly into a ball. "Just five more minutes…"

"Siggy." The voice says again, a little louder. I realize that it isn't my mother and blink my eyes open to find Lark above me, a tiny smile on her face. I'm not on my warm bed back in District Eight, either, I lay on the cold, hard ground of the tunnels that form the arena.

"Oh, sorry, I'm awake," I say, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

"Its fine," She laughs. "We just need to get going."

"Okay," I nod and then look around. "Hey, where's Bo?"

"He was here two seconds ago." She says, turning pale. "Siggy… I don't know where he is."

**Dmitri, Age 15, District 7**

I just don't understand. We were finally together, and then she just had to go join them. I don't get it, why would she leave me? We had everything worked out; nothing would have gone wrong if she'd just followed me into the tunnels instead of going into the bloodbath. Why would she do that? They had to offer her something. But I still don't understand, was I not good enough for her? Whatever they said they'd give her must have been more important then me…

My growling stomach pulls me out of my thoughts and I sit up. My back aches from sleeping on the hard ground and goose bumps have formed on my skin. I rub my arms, trying to warm up, and realize that there is no way of telling time in here. There's no sunlight and definitely no wristwatches. I'm going to have to rely completely on my internal clock, and considering that back home when my alarm clock broke I ended up waking up at noon and going to sleep at midnight, that isn't the best thing for me right now.

"Oh, dude," I mumble to myself as my stomach growls again. How am I going to get food? I don't have anything to hunt with and the only thing I've seen are centipedes and roaches and things like that. And, quite frankly, I really don't want to have to eat bugs. That's just gross! "I'm really hungry…"

My stomach growls again and I glance around, seeing a centipede inching along one of the rocks. A light bulb goes off somewhere in my head. "Hey, sponsors," I say, waving in no particular direction. "If you want to send me some food, that'd be great."

Nothing.

"If you don't," I say quickly, pointing to the centipede. "I'm going to eat that." I stand and do a three-sixty looking for anything that may be from the sponsors, and when I turn all the way around I find a small basket sitting on the ground in front of me. A tiny note sits on top of the basket and I pick it up, squinting to read it in the half light.

_ I wouldn't eat that if I were you. It's poisonous.  
__-Marcy_

Marcy is my mentor and she won her Games by poisoning the only water supply in that year's arena… so she knows what she's talking about. I snatch the basket and step as far away from the centipede as possible. I'm _really_ glad I didn't eat that.

**Azalea, Age 14, District 5**

I killed him.

Everything is so different now. I feel so dizzy all the time and everything looks so out of focus. I see two of everything now. When people speak it sounds like they are underwater, like their voices are muffled. My ears feel like they are stuffed with cotton. And everything feels colder. It's as if the universe is punishing me for what I did. You have to understand that I didn't want to kill him. I had to, I didn't have a choice!

"Pixie," I hear Jake say distantly. I can't see much, but I can see enough to see that his left eye has turned a pale shade of blue. He's gone blind in that eye, hasn't he? "You need to listen; everything is going to be fine."

I killed him.

"It's no use," I hear Kestrel say. "She's to far gone."

"No she's not!" Jake growls before turning back to me. He places hands on my shoulders but I barely feel them. It's like I'm in a dream. Everything feels such a light weight, and it all is so odd and unfamiliar. Even Jake's touch is ice cold one my skin and I want to pull away but don't seem able to. His hands, usually so soft, are as if they're covered in tiny needles. "Pixie, you've got to snap out of this."

I hear him but I can't react, can't respond. It's hard to form thoughts anymore, much less words or sentences to be said out loud. I can barely even blink, the motion taking all my will power. This entire thing is so surreal… I know what I did to deserve this, but it was worth it. I had to save Jake. He's my best friend, like a brother to me. I couldn't lose him. And Alo was there, about to hurt him and I just…

I killed him.

**Stella, Age 17, District 4**

"There aren't many tunnels leading from this cavern that don't head up or down." Eden says, sitting cross-legged, her hands folded in her lap and a thoughtful look on her face. "The tributes who want to get above ground, if it's even there, would head upwards. Anyone who wanted to get to water would go down, towards the noise."

"And a few of them would just be in a panic and head down whichever tunnel was closest." I add.

"So all we have to do is decide who it is we want to go after." Eden concludes.

When we woke up this morning all the bodies were gone. I'm glad. I don't want to spend another second watching Kyler and Lindsey disfiguring dead bodies. I mean, sure, they're dead, but they used to be people. Living, breathing people, with families and purposes... and now they're just gone.

"The big alliance." Lindsey says instantly, a bloodthirsty glint in her eyes. Clay and I exchange glances.

"I second this!" Kyler shouts with a mouthful of apple, juice dripping down his chin and a murderous look on his face. "We can all meet them and-and have an ultimate battle of ultimate destiny! And then I could rip Monroe's throat out…" He laughs hysterically at the idea and I'm honestly tempted to just shoot him right now.

"Oh, I call Pixie!" Lindsey says, bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Okay," Eden nods as if this is normal, looking around. "Does anyone know which way they went?"

There is a long moment of silence before Altair of all people finally speaks up. "They went in that tunnel." He says, pointing to a dark and narrow passage curving downwards. He hasn't spoken much and he's been the most distant of us all, even more then Eden who is here only because of something Kyler and Lindsey said. And knowing Kyler and Lindsey, it mustn't have been very great news.

"Let's follow them, then." Eden says, standing up and placing two axes on her belt. I refill my quiver with arrows from the cornucopia and sling my bow over my shoulder, while Kyler picks up two silver spears, one for each hand. Clay grabs a trident and nods, signaling that he's ready to leave whenever we are. Lindsey picks up her giant hammer and leans it up against her shoulder, her belt lined with daggers and a few small throwing knives in her pigtails.

"For raccoon blood!" She screams, taking off down the tunnel with Kyler at her heels. The rest of us follow a little less… _enthusiastically_.

**Fortis, Age 18, District 11**

I groan in pain as I tug my jacket and my shirt off. My eyes widen at the site of the wound on my shoulder. The skin has become a sickening purple color, standing out against my dark skin. It's a clean wound, however, an almost perfectly straight line of split flesh stretching down my shoulder. I'm thankful for this, it'll make things a lot less complicated, but I really wish that I hadn't gotten hurt at all. I can't move that arm without risking reopening the wound again. So I'm stuck sitting here, my back up against the stone wall and my sword clutched in my hands.

That's one of the most dangerous things about this arena. You can only see as far as the light and the tunnels will let you. You could be only yards away from another tribute and not even know it.

I can't believe that I still don't know where Animi is. What if he's hurt? I never should have brought him with me to the Capitol. I should have left him back in District Eleven with the pack. What was I thinking? It was such a mistake.

My mind can't stop drifting back to the sight of Claudia lying dead on the ground, her blood spilling out over the stones. I did that to her. I murdered her. But… I had to, didn't I? I had no choice, I needed to survive. Wasn't that the same thing she was thinking, though, when she attacked me? Isn't that what we've all been thinking? Do I have a right to say that my life is more valuable then someone else's? But then again, maybe it isn't. Maybe Claudia should have lived and I should have died. Yes… I should have died.

**Lark, Age 15, District 3**

"Should we go look for him, you think?" Siggy asks, cocking his head to the side in question.

"No." I shake my head. "He's probably moving, so if _we_ start moving, we'll probably never find him. It's best if we stay in one place."

"Oh," Siggy says, looking down at the ground. We sit through several minutes of silence before he speaks up again. "But what if he's thinking the same thing? Like, what if he's sitting there waiting for us while we're waiting for him? Then we _really_ won't find him."

I sigh. "That's a chance we have to take."

"Someone's coming!" Siggy says suddenly, his eyes wide in fear. I follow his eyes down the tunnel into the darkness. All is quiet, but then I hear the sound of small stone clattering against the rock floor. A few more seconds and I hear it again. Siggy is right, someone is coming.

"Get behind me," I hiss, shoving my way in front of him and pull a small wooden dagger out of out backpack that sits a few inches away. It isn't much, but it's all I have.

"I'm scared." Siggy whispers.

"It's alright," I say back, a faint smile playing across my lips though inside I feel like crying. "I am, too." The person keeps walking towards us. I can hear their footsteps now. Siggy clutches onto the back of my shirt like it's a lifeline and my heart beats at what must be a thousand times per minute. It feels as if it's going to break free of my chest, and I can hear the blood rushing in my ears.

"Howdy!" Bo shouts, leaping out from behind a corner. Siggy lets out a sharp intake of breath and falls backwards in relief, sprawling out over the ground. Meanwhile, I think my eye may be twitching. Bo motions toward his belt where several dead, furry creatures dangle by their tails. "I got supper!"

"Those are rats." I observe, my eyebrows rising as he tosses them on the ground at my feet.

"Yeah'ha." He nods proudly, plopping down as well.

"Those are rats?" Siggy asks, sitting up. "Those are the biggest rats I've ever seen in my life! They're the size of cats!"

"We're gonna be fed fer days." Bo nods happily.

"We thought you were a Career or something!" I finally burst out, making him blink in surprise. "Why would you leave without telling us where you were going? We thought you ran off! And then when you came back… I-I almost stabbed you, Bo! I was worried sick! Why would you do that?!"

"Gee, I thought ya would'a known I were gonna get food." Bo says, looking a little hurt. "Itn't that how it works? The man goes'n gets food and the lady stays behind to, ya know, take care o' them little ones?"

"That's sexist!" I exclaim.

"Err…" He mumbles, scratching the back of his head. "What?"

"How are we going to eat these?" Siggy asks, completely ignoring our conversation and poking one of the rats in the stomach.

"Sexist!" I exclaim again, rising to my feet and glaring at him. "You shouldn't expect me to stay behind just because I'm a girl! It's ridiculous! As I recall, I'm the one who went into the Bloodbath while _you_ stayed on the edges and waited for me to do the dirty work! I can do anything you can do, Bo. Just remember that." Still fuming, I sit down facing away from him. I hear him take a breath, as if getting ready to say something, so I brace myself for the bitterness that will no doubt be in his voice, the ignorant slur of words that are sure to come pouring out of his mouth… but they don't come. Instant, he just walks to the other side of the cave and he and Siggy start trying to figure out how exactly we're going to be able to eat those disgusting creatures he brought with him.

I snort to myself. Maybe we aren't meant for each other after all.

**Adela, Age 15, District 9**

They were here. They were here and I just missed them! I kick angrily at the ground and glare again at the almost nonexistent drops of blood on the stone floor of the cave, the rushing of water echoing inside my head. I don't know how they stayed here overnight. It's almost unbearable.

"_Adela_," I hear a soft female voice say so quietly I can barely hear it. I wheel around, my eyes narrowed and searching the shadows.

"Who's there?" I ask, pulling a dagger from my belt.

I stand there for what feels like hours, my eyes boring into the darkness, searching for any sign of movement, any life besides the roaches. Nothing moves however, or speaks to me for that matter. Maybe… maybe there wasn't anything there to start with. Maybe I've just gone mad.

* * *

**Alliances**

Careers- Kyler, Stella, Clay, Lindsey, Altiar, Eden. Location: The West Passage, Level Seven

Alliance 1- Jake, Pixie, Kestrel, Monroe, Tori. Location: The Main Souteast Tunnel, Level Six

Alliance 2- Bo, Lark, Siggy. Location: The Main Northeast Tunnel, Level Five

Loner: Dmitri. Location: The Southwest Passage, Level Seven

Loner: Fortis. Location: The Main Southwest Tunnel, Level Five

Loner: Adela. Location: Reverberating Cave, Level Six


	11. Into The Nothing

**Okay, so I'm late. Lets not make a big deal out of it, please? I was _so_ busy this week. I mean, I just started school and I got on the gifted team (the team for smart people :P), and they gave me the wrong supply list and... yeah. So today my school got cancelled due to the hurricane that's thankfully missing my state (Florida) but we're still getting a lot of rain and wind and all that. Okay, anywho, I hope you like today's chapter! Stuff's about to go down. And anyone who can guess what is up with Adela will... um... get a cookie? *pulls batch of cookies out of the oven* Oh, hey, this is the first song chapter! The song is Into The Nothing by Breaking Benjamin. Alrighty, enjoy!**

* * *

**Lark, Age 15, District 3**

I sit on the cold ground, watching as Bo stands and stretches, picking up his crossbow and readying himself to go out hunting for the day. No, Siggy and I aren't going. I realized that if he wants to take care of me then I shouldn't be complaining. This is the Hunger Games, and if I have an opportunity to make it any easier then I should take it. I mean, sure he has the wrong idea about it, but I know better then to try to reason with ignorance.

_ Screaming on the inside, I am frail and withered_

I glance over at Siggy. He looks so sweet and innocent, but yet so sad and intelligent, like he's wise beyond his years. It occurs to me that he just might be. From what I've heard he had a tough time as a kid. At the same time, he looks so tiny and weak. It sickens me to think of how he might die, because surely he cannot survive these Games. He's far too young, too innocent. And those who are innocent can't live through a game as gory as this one.

"Alright, Miss Lark, I'm a goin'." Bo says.

"K," I nod, not looking at him but faking a smile. He thinks I've forgiven him, that something he said made sense to me and that I accepted that he was right. Thing is, he wasn't right. He was dead wrong and he still is. I can't jeopardize this alliance just because we don't agree. I have to keep it together, if not for my sake, then for Siggy's.

_ Cover up the wounds, but I can't hide_

I watch as he heads down the same tunnel he returned from yesterday and listen as his footsteps slowly fade away. I sigh. I was so in love with him before, he just seemed so perfect, or at least I thought so. Look how wrong I was! I should have known. No one is perfect. Not even Bo.

**Fortis, Age 18, District 11**

I grit my teeth as I make slow progress through the tunnels. I can walk now… sort of. I would go faster if I wasn't worried about reopening the wound. It's barely closed up as it is. True, it hurts, but I'm used to pain.

_ Walls that lie between us, the saint is in the sinner_

I hate this arena. I hate it so much. Why couldn't we just be in a normal one? Here, the Careers could be just around the corner and you wouldn't even know it. I could be walking straight into their camp right now. I was hesitant to start moving at all, but I know I have to keep going, otherwise they will find me. Who _they_ would be, I'm not sure, but someone would find me. At least this way, I'll find them first.

**Adela, Age 15, District 9**

I wake up and stretch, having no idea what time it is. How could it? I can't see the sun.

"Adela," I hear the female voice say again. I leap to my feet.

"Alright, mysterious voice," I say loudly. "I've had about enough of this. Who the heck are you?"

"Adela…" The voice says again. I can hear it more clearly now. It sounds female, young, quiet and sad. And very, very familiar. Like that girl that you were best friends with in Kindergarten whose name you just can't place. It's going to drive me mad, if I'm not there already.

_ I have lost the nerve, but it's alright_

"I know you're here!" I say again, turning around and trying to find the source of the voice.

"Adela…" It… she… whatever, repeats. No, that voice isn't in my head, it's in the caves, and it sounds as if it's coming from everywhere, all around me. Maybe it's just that her voice is bouncing off the walls? Yeah, that's it. But then how did she get here? She's not a tribute. Is she a trap set by the Gamemakers?

"Will you hurt me?" I ask. "Are you a trick?"

She doesn't respond for a moment. "I'm here to save you."

**Tori, Age 17, District 12**

_ Carry the wounded and shut your eyes_

He gave up trying to snap her out of it at what I estimate was about midnight last night. When we moved to this cave from the last one, he carried her, and persisted as we walked. I admire him a lot for trying so hard to get her back, but at some point it just got hard to watch. It hurt that he just wouldn't accept the fact that she was gone, it hurt a lot. He still doesn't accept it, really, but he's stopped trying to tell her to snap out of it. He won't leave her side now, and he won't stop talking to her. He didn't get any sleep last night, just stayed up telling her stories about his family and his past. It amazes me that he can have a conversation with someone who won't say anything.

_ All will be forgiven, none will rise_

"Why doesn't he just give up already?" Kestrel grumbles from where he sits leaning against the cave wall next to Monroe and holding her hand in his.

"What are you talking about?" I scowl.

"I don't get it." Kestrel says, his face expressionless. "Can't he see that she's gone?"

"If it was Monroe instead of Pixie, would you give up on her?" I shoot back, completely aware that it isn't entirely a fair question. It shuts him up, though, and he drops his ice cold gaze. I hate his eyes. Whenever he looks at me goose bumps form on my arms.

_ Bury the fallen and lead the blind_

"We should start moving again." I say, standing up after about half an hour of listening to Jake tell Pixie stories that she might not even be able to hear. The girl is catatonic. A flicker of doubt crosses my mind. Kestrel is right; she's to far gone to come back from whatever dark place she's in inside her mind. But Jake just won't accept that. He can't lead, so someone has to. Monroe couldn't do it. And it sure as hell isn't going to be Kestrel.

"Who put you in charge?" Kestrel asks, his narrowed eyes locking with mine. I suppress a shiver and fold my arms.

"No one." I reply coldly. "But how does that matter? We need to move. I'm just saying it out loud. So, let's get moving, please."

"Aye, aye, captain," Kestrel grumbles sarcastically, heading first into the tunnels with Monroe at his heels.

_ I will find the lost dead inside_

"Come on, Jake," I say, resting a hand on his shoulder. He nods, a solemn look on his face, and scoops Pixie into his arms. I let him go into the narrow tunnel ahead of me, and watch as his shadow melts into the darkness of the tunnel, Pixie laying limp in his arms, as if she's dead. And she is dead… on the inside anyway.

**Lindsey, Age 16, District 10**

"Why ever is a raven like a writing desk?" I cackle as Kyler and I race along the tunnels, shooting and whooping. The darkness looms in front of us but we don't care. We love the darkness, the unknown. It's refreshing.

"I don't know, Lindsey." Kyler smiles widely. "Why?"

"I have absolutely no idea!" I say honestly and we burst out laughing.

_ Into the nothing, faded and weary_

"Can we take a break?" I hear Stella call from behind us. "I think Altair is going to pass out."

"No…" Altair pants. "I'm… fine…" He then proceeds to cough violently.

"No way, Stellaroo," I say, not pausing as I dash down the tunnel. "You slept last night. That was the break! You were lucky to get that! I mean, seriously, how ungrateful can you-" My word shifts into a shriek as I feel the ground disappear beneath my feet. I look down to see where the floor of the cave cut off abruptly, giving way to a chasm with no bottom in sight. If I had seen the drop I could have made the jump. But I didn't see it. I feel myself begin to fall and panic courses through my entire body. I'm too terrified to scream.

_ I won't leave and let you fall behind_

Suddenly, I feel a pair of hands grasp onto the back of my jacket and the breath knocks out of me as I swing back and hit the wall of the cave. The arms are strong and powerful, easily pulling me back up to safety. I turn, expecting to see Kyler, but instead see Altair, gazing down at me with celery green eyes.

"Altair?" I ask in confusion, fear beginning to prickle at my insides. Where's Kyler? But then I see him, leaning casually up against the wall of the cave in the shadows, looking rather bored with the situation.

"Who is Altair?" He hisses, his eyes narrowing to slits. "Aiden doesn't know who the pretty girl speaks of."

I look over at Stella. "Maybe we should take a break."

**Jacob, Age 16, District 5**

_ Live for the dying, heaven hear me_

"When I was little," I laugh as I carry Pixie through the tunnels. "My sister and I used to chase each other through the town square. Sometimes we'd play games, but a lot of the time we'd just chase each other for the fun of it, never really knowing who was chasing who. The adults yelled at us sometimes but we'd ignore them. One day I accidentally knocked over a table of bread that the baker was selling. He started screaming at me and I was about eight at the time, so I got pretty scared. My sister, who was ten, grabbed one of the loaves of bread and shoved it right into his mouth!" I burst out laughing, but the smile slowly fades, to be replaced by a grimace of pain. "I've never had that much fun in District Five after that, I don't think. It's always felt so empty since…" I trail off, not wanting to continue on.

_ I know we can make it out alive_

I miss my sister. I want to see her again, badly. I know I will soon, though. I'm going to see my sister again… just as soon as I die.

**Eden, Age 15, District 7**

We backtracked along the tunnels and on our way found a side tunnel so small that we had to crawl through it. After a few seconds, though, it opened up into a huge cavern, complete with a pool of crystal clear water on one side. Aiden long since started punching the wall, making me unbelievably uneasy. He can't control his aggression at all, but thankfully we all managed to explain to him that we weren't just fresh meat. Now, though, his knuckles are bleeding horribly and a small rumbling sound escape the wall every time he punches it.

_ Leave me at the bottom, I am lost forever_

"That's it," I say, as the wall lets out a particularly loud growl. "I'm going to, um, take a walk… I guess."

"I'll come, too!" Stella and Clay say at exactly the same time.

"We need someone to say behind and keep an eye on the crazies, though." I point out in a whisper.

"You two go." Clay says, glancing over at Aiden. "I'll stay here."

"Okay." I nod, and Stella and I make our way back out into the tunnels.

_ Letters from the dead, say goodbye_

We don't say anything as we walk lazily down the tunnels; just enjoy the break from the psychotic characteristics of the Career alliance. "Glow worms." I notice, glancing up at the ceiling to see the florescent creatures dangling from the roof of the tunnel. Stella nods in agreement and we continue to walk, not really caring where we're going. It occurs to me that we can get lost, separated from the Careers. Right now, though, I couldn't care less.

_ Sorrow falls upon us, this will be the last time_

Suddenly, a rumble ten times louder then any of the others resonates down the path sounds, causing us both to instantly freeze.

"What was that?" Stella asks, anxiety lacing her usually placid voice. The walls begin to shake and I can see cracks beginning to form in the ceiling, dirt and grovel already begin to fall down around us.

"Stella, run!" I scream. "The tunnel is collapsing!"

_ Days begin to end, but I'll get by_

The rocks begin to fall down behind us and the sound of them breaking open against the floor is louder then anything I've ever heard, sending another wave of terror washing over me with every smash. My legs churn underneath me, and I breathe heavily as I race down the winding tunnel, Stella on my heels. A bloodcurdling scream comes from just behind me, and I look over my shoulder in mortification to see Stella being buried underneath the rocks, her blood already staining the stones. Her eyes lock with mine for a moment but then they are covered by the falling debris. I feel my ankle twist and then hear it crack, sending me falling straight at the stone ground. At the last second, something catches me and I look up in shock to see Dmitri blinking down at me.

"The tunnel, it's-" I begin, but get cut off as his lips press against mine. I hear the sound of the rumbling dying away. The cave in must have stopped. I close my eyes and allow myself to get caught up in the kiss. It sets of fireworks in my chest and I wrap my arms around his neck, suddenly reminded just how much he means to me.

**Clay, Age 18, District 4**

_ Follow the hopeless and shut your eyes_

"Did you hear that?" I ask, looking around.

"Hear what?" Kyler asks, glancing at me from where he lies with his hands folded casually behind his head.

"Nope, I didn't hear anything, Clay Face." Lindsey replies, spinning around in circles and then proceeding to fall over.

Aiden just grunts in response, not even looking over from the wall. I wince at the sight of his hands. They're completely soaked in blood, and the bones must have broken a long time ago. How can he stand that? Maybe he doesn't feel any pain when he's Aiden.

_ All will be abandoned, none will shine_

I'm worried. That sound… what if Stella and Eden are in trouble? I should go looking for them. But I can't. I have to stay here and make sure that Lindsey, Kyler and Aiden don't do anything that could endanger the alliance. I just hope Stella and Eden are alright.

**Pixie, Age 14, District 5**

_ Gather the broken and leave this life_

The alliance picks a spot and I feel Jake put me on the ground. It's ice cold and if I could, I would no doubt start shivering uncontrollably. But I can't. I can't move, can't speak. It's getting worse. I can barely breathe anymore. It hurts to breathe, hurts to stay alive. I'm not sure I want to live anymore.

_ Lying in the earth side by side_

Jake wants me to live, I know he does. He doesn't want to win himself, true, but he wants either me or Tori to survive. I know that I can't stay alive much longer… but maybe Tori can. I hope it would make him happy. He's so sad all the time, now, talking of his past like he's lost it all. He might have.

I hope I die soon.

**Dmitri, Age 15, District 7**

"Why'd you leave?" I ask finally, breaking into the silence.

_ Into the nothing, faded and weary_

She doesn't respond, just sits there staring at the wall.

"Eden," I say, anger edging my voice. "Why'd you leave me?"

"I…" She whispers, her voice catching in her throat. She takes a deep breath and looks up at me with a steady gaze. "Kyler invited me. I thought I would survive longer if I joined them."

"You're lying." I say, staring straight into her beautiful eyes. Her words might say one thing, but her eyes scream something else.

_ I won't leave and let you fall behind_

"Fine…" She murmurs, looking away from me. "They said they would hurt you if I didn't."

"Eden," I breathe in shock, wrapping my arms around her and resting my head on top of hers. She grows tense for a second before accepting the embrace, entwining her fingers with mine. "You shouldn't have to sacrifice yourself for me."

_ Live for the dying, heaven hear me_

"I couldn't let you get hurt…" She says, a tear falling from her cheek.

"I'd rather die," I say. "Then have you suffer."

_ I know we can make it out alive_

I know it's true. I couldn't bear to see her in _any_ sort of pain. But is that really what she thinks of me? I know its wrong… but some part of me wonders if I can really trust her. The way she acted in the bloodbath was different. She didn't seem like herself. I guess one could argue that she was acting for me and that's why she did what she did, but love for someone can only go so far, surely? She killed him without hesitation… without regret.

**Adela, Age 15, District 9**

_ I'll keep you inside_

The voice stopped talking after she said that she was here to save me. I don't understand. What's there to save me from? Sure, I'm in the Hunger Games, but I'm not in any immediate danger. Then it occurs to me. She's not here to save me from anything in the physical world. She's here to save me from myself.

**Bo, Age 16, District 3**

I walk down the tunnel, my crossbow loaded and ready to fire. Lark took what I said the wrong way last night, but I'm glad she understands now.

I haven't seen much of anything edible. I saw some bugs but decided that Lark probably would rather starve then eat them. There were some bats a few minutes back, but there is barely any meat on them, just skin and bone. I haven't seen any rats since the two I caught last night, and there doesn't seem to be much else in the tunnels.

_ Where I lead you cannot follow_

My crossbow is suddenly ripped from me hands and I feel a strong force sending me into the wall of the tunnel. My head smacks up against the stone and spots dance in my vision.

_ Straight into the light_

_ As my breath grows still and shallow_

"Look what I caught!" A female voice shrieks happily, quickly followed by a rather insane-sounding laugh.

"Well, well, well…" I hear a deep voice chuckle. "Whatever do we have here?"

* * *

**Tributes killed in this chapter**

Stella, Age 17, District 4

**Alliances**

Career- Lindsey, Kyler, Altiar/Aiden, Clay. Captive: Bo. Location: The Hidden Cave, Level Seven

Alliance 1- Tori, Jake, Pixie, Kestrel, Monroe. Location: The Main Southwest Tunnel, Level Six

Alliance 2- Lark, Siggy. Location: The Main Northeast Tunnel, Level Five

Alliance 3- Dmitri, Eden. Location: The Southwest Passage, Level Seven

Loner- Fortis. Location: The Main Southwest Tunnel, Level Five

Loner- Adela. Location: The Southwest Passage, Level Six


	12. The Devil in the Details

**So, I'm five days late. But hold your pitchforks and torches! You cannot begin to imagine how busy and FREAKING WEIRD these last few weeks have been. Just gosh... unicorn... sand attack... cake batter... rain... blonde... I'M BACK FROM NARNIA! Lol, alrighty, so life's a little screwed up right now, haha. So this chapter is a tiny bit shorter then usual, but I promise that's because it's leading up to the next chapter which is gonna be awesome! Anyway, again, I'm sorry I'm so late! But I shall do better next time. Also, there is a really old song in here called Say That We're Sweethearts Again by Virginia O'Brian. It's actually really good XD**

**Warning: This chapter is bipolar. Do with that what you will. **

* * *

**Lindsey, Age 16, District 10**

"Can we do something?" I complain, slumped up against a rock. Clay is sitting on the other side of the cavern looking rather disturbed. Altair turned back into himself sometime last night and just woke up from sleeping a little while ago. Kyler, meanwhile, is enjoying himself slicing open one of Bo's arms.

"Come help me." Kyler says simply, not looking up from the bloody work.

"No…" I shake my head, wresting my elbows on my knees. "Sounds boring." Bo's been unconscious for a while, and he stopped screaming ages ago. I like the screaming, it's my favorite part, and now that he's out cold I can't even laugh at the fear in his eyes.

"Then shut up." He hisses, dragging his blade along Bo's skin, slicing a long cut from his wrist up to his shoulder and then going down the do it ago, right next to the first one. He's going to look like a zebra if Kyler keeps this up.

"Come on, Puddin'," I say playfully. "We can go hunt down some other tributes. This one's gonna die soon anyway, and the sooner we head out, the sooner we find another one, and the sooner we can get torturing again! Doesn't that sound nice?"

"Shut up, you stupid bi-" He gets cut off as the sound of a canon echoes through the arena. "Oh, look at that." He stands up. "I'm going hunting."

"I'll come, too!" I say happily, leaping to my feet, but he shakes his head.

"No, I'm going alone." Without waiting for a response, he heads out into the tunnels. I frown.

"_Life used to be a gay thing_…" I sing slowly.

"Oh no," Clay mutters. "Not again."

"_A full of happiness night and day thing_…" I continue, ignoring him. "_It was something to have and to hold…_ _But it seems that you're love grew cold_."

"Don't be rude." Altair shakes his head at Clay, looking at me politely and motioning for me to continue. I grin. Finally, someone appreciates my musical genius.

"_I never knew that you and I were finished_," I sing honestly, thinking of Kyler. "_Until you poisoned my food. And I thought it was a lark when you kicked me in the park, but now I think it was rude._"

"Did all of this actually happen?" Clay asks, sitting up.

"Yep." Altair nods.

"_I_ _never knew that our romance had ended until that bottle hit my head_!" I laugh. "_Though I tried to be aloof when you pushed me off the roof… I feel our romance is dead!_"

"Really?" Clay rolls his eyes sarcastically.

I glance over at Bo's dead body. "_It wouldn't have been so bad if you'd told me. If you'd told me that someone had suddenly taken my place! Hmph! But no, no you didn't even scold me… you just tried to disfigure my face._

"_You'll never know how this heart of mine is breaking. It looks so hopeless, but then… our lives could still be sweet and placid if you'd just put down that acid and say we're sweethearts again! _Big finish!_ Our love is great, no love can match it. Darling, please put down that hatchet… and say we're sweethearts again_!"

**Lark, Age 15, District 3**

"That's it." I shake my head, standing up and slinging my backpack over my shoulder. "We're going."

"What about Bo?" Siggy asks, confused, as I help him to his feet.

"Bo can take care of himself." I reply. On the inside, though, I have my suspicions that that canon was for him. "We can't just stay here. We're like sitting ducks; we need to move."

"Okay…" Siggy sighs as we begin walking. "But where are we going to go?"

I think for a moment before replying simply, "Up."

**Adela, Age 15, District 9**

There is a very weird noise echoing through the tunnels. It sounds, more or less, like a pen tapping against a wooden table, but instead of one pen there are thousands all beating in a sort of bizarre rhythm, resonating through the caves and bouncing off the walls. It's almost supernatural, the way it sinks into your brain until you can't even process thoughts. All that's left is the sound, reverberating into your very soul.

It's freaking me out.

It takes me a minute to be able to clear my head enough to figure out which direction it's coming from. Left, or in other words, down. To get away from the noise I have to go upwards. Well, no need to tell me twice.

**Fortis, Age 18, District 11**

I am walking in circles.

I recognize that rock. I've seen it before. And I would remember it because I almost tripped over it. I'm getting stronger, and the wound is healing and the infection seems to have cured itself, but it still hurts like heck. I haven't attempted to run yet, but thankfully I haven't had a reason to. It's been quiet since I got into the arena. I haven't run into another tribute since the bloodbath, and I haven't run into any trouble. It makes me nervous. It's like the quiet before the storm.

I lick my lips. I haven't had much to drink. I'm tentative to drink the water off the cave walls. It's simple enough to do, just scrap it into your hands and drink, but it has a strange taste that makes me think it isn't entirely the safest thing in the world to do.

Angrily I persist onward, this time making sure to take a tunnel that I haven't yet traveled down. I'm not really sure where I'm going. Hopefully towards water, but there isn't really any way to find it for sure in the caves here. Perhaps I should head downwards? But I've been trying to avoid that, since the other tributes seem to have taken that path when they fled from the bloodbath. I don't want to run into the other tributes. Not until I'm strong enough to fight again. Not yet.

**Dmitri, Age 15, District 7**

"I wouldn't eat that if I were you." I say gently from where I stand casually leaned against the wall, watching Eden eying a centipede identical to the one I saw yesterday. "It's poisonous."

"Oh," she says, looking a little pale, and quickly limping away from it. She brushes a strand of hair out of her face. "Thanks." Her ankle, I've concluded, is either severely twisted or just plain broken. I'm hoping for it to be the first, but I can't be sure. Which ever one it is, she can't really walk much less run.

"No problem." I smile, lifting her chin up until she's looking into my eyes. "Can't have you getting poisoned, now can we?" I grin, giving her a peck on the cheek. She smiles and I find myself lost in her brown eyes. My good mood fades however. I have so much to lose.

**Tori, Age 17, District 12**

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jake growls from where he walks ahead of me, Kestrel at his side.

"Yes you do." Kestrel accuses, piercing eyes narrowed to slits. "You're hauling her around, Jake! She's a dead weight and you know it."

"She's going to get better." He snaps.

"Maybe we should take a break…" Monroe suggests to me quietly, tapping my shoulder. I nod.

"Alright, we're going to stop here for awhile." I announce. Jake sets Pixie down gently so that she's sitting up against the wall. He's careful to brush the hair out of her eyes and fold her hands in her lap so no one steps on her fingers by accident.

"We're all going to die just because _you_ can't let her go…" Kestrel grumbles, glaring off in no particular direction.

"We can't leave her!" Jake argues. "She'd die!"

"Is that really such a bad thing?" Kestrel asks.

"How dare you?" Jake hisses. "What if I said we should just leave you behind? Or Monroe? She isn't really being much help either!"

That's it. Kestrel launches a silver knife into the air faster then I can even blink. Jake takes a sharp intake of breath as the blade sticks into his shoulder, and lunges at Kestrel, his fist smacking hard into his face. Kestrel stumbles backwards, almost falling over. He spits blood out onto the ground before pulling a dagger out of his belt and charging at Jake. The blade barely misses his neck and Jake takes the opportunity to grab Kestrel's wrist and slam it up against the wall with a sickening snap of bone, the dagger clattering to the ground.

"Kestrel!" Monroe shrieks, attempting to race to his aid but I grab her from behind, wrapping my arms around her stomach.

"Monroe, don't," I warn. "Jake would shred you right now."

"But-" She begins.

"Don't" I shake my head.

Kestrel strikes out with his other hand, wrapping it around Jake's neck. Jake smacks up against the wall before purposefully tripping Kestrel up, who pulls Jake down with him as they fall. They wrestle on the ground in a fury, both to close to really punch. Kestrel kicks out with his leg hitting Jake right in the knee where a small stream of blood begins to slowly drip from the wound. Jake throws Kestrel off him with a mighty shove, and as he falls back his ankle twists on the uneven ground and I watch as he falls, almost in slow motion, and his head splits open on the wall of the cave, splattering the stones with blood. The piercing eyes that I once found so terrifying glaze over lifelessly. My arms fall and Monroe runs to his side, resting a hand on his pale cheek just as his canon sounds.

**Altair, Age 15, District 12**

What did I do last night? I can't remember. I blacked out just after the voices started talking to me again. I'm not sure where I went. My hands hurt. I think they're broken. Lindsey said that 'the fun Altair finally showed up' but I don't know what that means. Kyler and I don't really get along that great, so I don't think asking him would be a good idea. Clay won't tell me what happened. I don't know why. I tried to talk to him about it but he ignored me.

I think he was talking to the audience earlier today, too. It was kind of odd, since at first I thought that he was just talking to himself. I really couldn't hear what he was saying, but I caught a few words here and there, like 'crazy' and 'help'.

My mother says that I'm a monster. She doesn't say it to my face, but I hear her, when she thinks I'm not listening. She believes that I am tainted by the devil, and she curses the day I was born. I don't think that I'm evil… I don't want to be.

"Look whose back!" Lindsey squeals as Kyler crawls into the hidden cave. He glares at her. "Aw, didn't catch anything?"

"No." He growls. Lindsey bursts out laughing. "Shut up."

"_You_ shut up." Lindsey grins mischievously, clearly enjoying herself.

"Wait, have you all just been sitting here while I was gone?" He gapes. "You could have been doing something useful! You were just sitting here! What could you have possibly been doing all day in this one stupid cave?"

"Your mom!" Lindsey shouts, giggling hysterically.

"My mom is dead." Kyler replies blankly.

"I'm sorry…" I say quietly. My mother hates me, but I can't begin to imagine what life would be like without her.

"Don't be." Kyler shrugs. "I'm the one who killed her."

"You killed your mother?" Clay says in shock.

"And my father and my sister…" He nods, counting on his fingers, as if it's difficult to remember all of his family members he's murdered. "I keep their blood in jars in the back of my pantry. Sometimes I like to take it out and put it on the windowsill, just to get the thrill of thinking someone's gonna see it. Report me maybe? I always hoped they did, because then peacekeepers would come to my house, and I could kill them, too. But no one ever sees it. It's kind of disappointing."

* * *

**Tributes killed in this chapter**

Bo, Age 16, District 3

Kestrel, Age 18, District 6

**Alliances**

Careers- Kyler, Lindsey, Clay, Altair/Aiden. Location: The Hidden Tunnel, Level Seven

Alliance 1- Tori, Jake, Pixie, Monroe. Location: The Main Southwest Tunnel, Level Seven

Alliance 2- Lark, Siggy. Location: The Main Northeast Tunnel, Level Four

Alliance 3- Dmitri, Eden. Location: The Southwest Passage, Level Seven

Loner- Fortis. Location: The Main East Tunnel, Level Five

Loner- Adela. Location: The West Tunnel, Level Five


	13. Hurt

**This chapter is late. Okay, time for my list of excuses! I was working on it last week and I was going to finish it this weekend but I had to help my dad move into his new apartment and it took a heck of a lot longer then I thought. Then on Monday I was drowning in homework, and the same goes for Tuesday except I also had a football game to go to! Good news is that we won 54 to 0. Yay us! Well, I mean, I'm not on the team, nor am I a cheerleader... but yay us! Anywho, this chapter is very dramatic and freatures a song called Hurt by Thousand Foot Krutch. ONWARD TO THE BATTLEFIELD!**

* * *

**Monroe, Age 15, District 1**

_ Drop the ball, watch it fall, far below_

I don't fear the dark. It made me nervous at first, the dancing shadows and the absence of sunlight. But then I began to adjust. My skin has grown pale, almost white, and my blue eyes naturally stretch wide in their strain to see. In the darker patches of the tunnels I've grown use to skimming my hands over the surface of the wall ahead of me to follow the curve of the tunnel. My feet slide carefully across the floor so I don't step on anything dangerous. In a way, darkness isn't an absence of light at all. It's a way of life.

_ Suck you in, hold your breath_

I rely on that darkness now to conceal me, to hide me, as Tori and Jake rise from sleep. They're confused, wondering where I am. But they don't look for me, and I don't expect them to. I watch as they leave, the sound of their hushed voices bouncing off the cold stone and slowly fading until there is nothing left except the sound of water rushing somewhere deeper in the earth. I'm not sure what I would have done had they found me hiding here under the rocks in a dip in the ground. I just knew they wouldn't look.

_ The undertow creeps in slow_

**Fortis, Age 18, District 11**

I lean against the side of the tunnel, coughing hard. My throat burns with every breath, and the stress makes my chest feel constricted. The lines in my vision begin to blur, and my head spins so much I think I may puke again. I don't think that's possible, though. There isn't anything left in my stomach; I haven't eaten since yesterday.

_ Everyone owns a gun deep inside_

I pull my arm off the wall and feel something warm on my skin. Several drops of blood roll down my arm from my scrapped up palm. I look at it distantly, as if I'm not myself, as if I'm someone looking on from the outside. I didn't even feel the stones cut into my hand.

_ It's just a matter of how much you let it slide_

My dilated eyes come to rest on a bush, almost weed-like in appearance, growing in between a crack in the rocks. Attached to the vines are purple berries, and though there aren't many of them, they're enough for me. I recognize them from my time in the forest with the wolves. Though I don't remember the name, I know they're full of nutrients and that they're hardy, able to grow without any sunlight. They're one of the only plants that could survive down here in the tunnels. I tug them loose of the vines one by one with fumbling fingers and plop them into my mouth, frowning at the bitter taste. It doesn't matter, though. They'll help me stay alive.

**Adela, Age 15, District 9**

_ Help me help you, they won't be there_

Pulling my knees up to my chest, I sit against the cold cave wall and press my ear against the stone. I can hear the sound of the water rushing somewhere deeper in the tunnels, slapping up against the walls and pushing against the rock. It's louder then it was before. Since we got in the arena it's only been a steady humming, but today it's more like a constant thunder.

My stomach hurts, gnawing with hunger. There isn't much food in the tunnels that I can find. I manage to scrap together enough to stay alive, but just enough. I'm loosing weight fast, and running out of resources. I tilt my head down in exhaustion, letting my eyes flutter shut for a few moments before prying them back open, forcing myself to stay alert.

I rise to my feet. I need to find Pixie. And I need to kill her.

_ Help me help you, they won't see_

**Lark, Age 15, District 3**

"Be careful not to trip over the rocks." I say softly to Siggy, watching him in front of me, making his way up the steep incline, sending pebbles showering down in his wake. This part of the tunnel is almost diagonal, the pathway climbing steadily upward. The ground has been replaced by thousands of loose stones. I can't make out the floor. It certainly makes climbing more difficult.

Siggy stumbles, sliding down past me, and I grab his wrist to try to catch him. I underestimated the momentum, however, and he pulls me after him as he falls. I end up rolling on my side, Siggy's wrist being wrenched roughly from my hand, and I let out a squeak of surprise. Eventually we come to a stop at the bottom of the incline and I sit up, the world spinning. Siggy does the same.

"Are you alright?" I ask.

_ It hurts when you need me and I can't break your fall_

He nods.

We look at each other for a few seconds before bursting out laughing, flopping over and clutching at our sides. It's short-lived, however, as I remember the last time I laughed like this. I was at breakfast with two of my siblings, Dove and Raven, a few days before the reaping, and Dove launched a piece of cereal at Raven's head with her spoon. That's what started the food fight. By the time my father and my older brother, Hawk, came in and broke it up, the entire kitchen was covered in breakfast foods.

_And it hurts when you can't see_

"Come on." I sigh, brushing the dirt and dust off of my clothes. "We should get back to climbing."

As we make our way up the slope again, I can't help but let my mind wander. In this arena there is no sky, so they can't project the images of the tributes onto it. Instead they say the names over a hidden intercom and each syllable echoes through the tunnels until it's no longer a name, just a jumbled bunch of sounds. They said Bo's name last night. I listened as it was disturbed and distorted until it was unrecognizable. Just like him.

_ And it hurts_

I remember the first time I saw him. It was reaping day, and the entire District looked confused when the name 'Bo' was read off that horrid slip of paper. He stepped up onto the stage and when the escort forced us to shake hands mine were shaking. He squeezed it reassuringly and flashed me a gentle smile. I saw that smile in my dreams last night. I saw blood, too.

**Jake, Age 16, District 5**

_ Wash it off, take the loss, let it go_

"Jake, hurry!" Tori says frantically, running ahead of me, splashing with every step. I'm up to my thighs in the water now, and it rises around me, the dark liquid churning as I try my hardest to propel both myself and Pixie's unresponsive body through the tunnels. I'm not sure where we're going, and I don't think Tori know either. She just wants to be anywhere but here.

I feel myself being taken over by calmness as the memory of my sister drifts across my mind. Everything reminds me of her. I remember her laugh and the way she smiled. How she always ate her toast with blueberry jelly, never strawberry like the rest of us. The way she always skipped every third stepping stone because she believed it was bad luck. The times she forgot how to spell her own middle name but knew how to spell some of the longest words in the English language. She was always there for me.

"Tori," I say quietly. "What was Twelve like?"

"I'll tell you later, Jake," She replies, pushing against the swirling currents.

"Why'd you volunteer?"

She freezes and after a few seconds turns to look at me in the eyes. A small smile creeps across her face. "Marcy. Or, Marcelline. Weirdest person on the planet. They reaped her. She wouldn't have made it."

I nod.

"What about you?"

I don't reply, just think for a moment, watching the ripples in the water below me. I walk to Tori and deposit Pixie in her arms. For a moment she looks down at the young girl, confused, but then her head jerks up, eyes wide with panic.

_Suck you in, hold your breath_

"No," She whispers. "No, you… you aren't dying, Jake!"

"Yeah… I am." I nod, resting my palm against her cheek. She leans into it, tears streaming down her face. "It's what I came here to do."

_ The undertow creeps in slow_

I walk away, pushing through the water, until I turn around and look at Tori one last time. She seems to be almost glowing in my eyes as she cradles Pixie in her arms, not moving a muscle, though she is being racked with sobs. I close my eyes slowly and lean back until I feel the water wrap around my body and engulf me, rising upwards until I can't breathe.

It's peaceful, under the surface. I don't sink to the bottom like I thought I would, but instead float somewhere in the midst of it all. I've lost all sense of direction and depth. I can't remember which way is up, and even if I knew, I'd have no idea how long it would take me to reach it. Time is distorted, seconds feel like days, and I don't complain. A ghost of a smile finds its way across my lips as I watch the last of my air traveling away from me in a line of bubbles. I'm going to see my sister again.

**Fortis, Age 18, District 11**

_ Everyone carries one deep inside_

_ It's just a matter of how much you let it slide_

I stare in confusion down at the water lapping gently against the toes of my shoes. How did it get here? My head spins as I crouch down, almost falling over, and cup my hands under the surface of the water. I bring it up to my lips hastily, anxious not to spill a single drop. It touches my lips and I close my eyes in relief as it slides down my throat.

_ Help me help you, they won't be there_

I'm not sure how long I'm there just drinking from the water, but by the time I stand it's risen to my ankles. The water is rising. The river down below must have flooded. Whoever's cannon I heard earlier today probably drowned in the waters I just drank from.

My massive headache has been reduced to a slight throbbing as I make my way down the tunnels. They don't spin now, and I'm grateful for that. Anymore lightheadedness and I would have been running into walls. Not something the sponsors want in a tribute, I'm sure.

_ Help me help you, they won't see_

**Siggy, Age 12, District 8**

When I laughed earlier today it felt almost foreign to me. I barely ever laugh. Even before the Games, I was never really one for it. I was always the kid who sat alone at lunch, the kid who was left without a partner during group activities in class. Mother always said I had too much Training to make friends.

_ And it hurts when you're lonely_

I miss my mother. She was strict at times, with permanent worry lines ceased into her face, but she was always there for me. Sure, she had the wrong idea about making me volunteer for the Games but… she's my mother. And I miss her.

_ And I'm standing right beside you there_

When I was younger, about eight, my mother broke her leg. I followed her around everywhere, offering to help her with every single little task. It wasn't that she needed my help or that she was asking for it, I just wanted to make things easier for her. She's stubborn, though, and she never did let me help her, not with one thing. It didn't really occur to me till later that she was trying to teach me about independence, that even when you're hurt you should never rely on someone else in case they don't come through for you.

_ And it hurt when you told me that you tried this on your own_

**Dmitri, Age 15, District 7**

"Wait, I… I don't think I can…" Eden breathes, clinging to my arm for support as we wade through the water as fast as we can. She limps along, trying her hardest to keep up. I feel horrible pushing her like this, but I'm worried that if I don't we're going to drown. "I don't think I can keep going for much longer…"

"Eden, you have to," I say, not looking at her. If I look, guilt will race through my veins until it finally overrides my brain and I'll let us slow down. We can't slow down. If we do, we'll surely die.

_ Hope you never hurt, hope you never cry_

"But I don't think I can," She says through gritted teeth. She sniffs after a few seconds, and I look down in shock to find her face streaming with tears.

"Eden, what's wrong?" I say frantically.

She shakes her head, as if trying to avoid answering the question.

"Eden, what's wrong?" I repeat, more firmly.

"My ankle," She replies with a grimace as she limps on. "It hurts… I think it's getting worse…"

"Come on," I say. I look up ahead in the tunnels. "Look, the water is getting shallower, see? You just got to make it there, okay? Come on, you can make it."

"I don't think-"

"You can make it!" I persist, and then smile a little. "Come on, say it. _I can make it._ Say it."

"Dmitri, this really isn't the time." She shakes her head.

_ Hope you never lose your way tonight_

"Say it," I grin.

"I can make it." She sighs, smiling a little at the silliness of it all.

"Yes you can!" I laugh. "Again."

"I can make it." She says a little more confidently. We're a fourth of the way to the edge of the water now and hope is washing over me in waves. It'll be much easier once we get onto dry land again, without water hindering our every move.

"Again."

"I can make it!" She shouts bravely, pushing through the water faster then she has before. My muscles burn as we make our way towards the edges of the water. Half of the way, and then seventy-five percent; I'm glad we'll be able to walk easier. Eden's been under so much strain, and with that injured ankle, I think she would have collapsed from exhaustion if we would have had to carry on any further.

_ Hope you never crumble, hope you never fall_

"Dmitri!" Eden shrieks suddenly, and I feel her hands slip off my arm. Water splashes up onto my back and I whirl around in time to see Eden being dragged backwards into the water by three dark blue tentacles, reaching up out of the dark waves to pull her under.

"Eden!" I scream just as she disappears below the surface.

_ Hope you never throw away it all…_

**Pixie, Age 14, District 5**

Jake's gone. Those words echo through my mind as Tori carries me through the tunnels. He just handed me to her, and let himself fall back into the water. We stood their watching as the last of the air bubbles rose to the surface, and stood there for much longer staring on in disbelief. I knew that was what he wanted, but for some reason I never faced the fact that it was actually going to happen.

_ Drop the ball, watch it fall far below_

Before, I just felt numb to the bone, unable to move. Now I feel hollow, like there isn't anything left of me at all. I doubt that there is. I will die in these tunnels and the peacekeepers will come and hall my body away while the other tributes sleep. I will be sent back to District Five in a little wooden box, and everyone from the district will show up, just as they are required to, to watch my coffin being lowered into the ground. I can't wait.

_ Suck you in, hold your breath, watch it swing_

* * *

**Tributes killed in this chapter**

Jake, Age 16, District 5

Eden, Age 15, District 7

**Alliances**

Careers- Kyler, Lindsey, Clay, Altair/Aiden. Location: The Main Nothern Tunnel, Level Six

Alliance 1- Tori, Pixie. Location: The Main Southwest Tunnel, Level Five

Alliance 2- Lark, Siggy. Location: The Main Northeast Tunnel, Level Three

Loner: Dmitri. Location: The Southern Passage, Level Six

Loner: Monroe. Location: The Main Northeast Tunnel, Level Five

Loner- Fortis. Location: The Main East Tunnel, Level Five

Loner- Adela. Location: The West Tunnel, Level Five


	14. Selfless

**Clay, Age 18, District 4**

"You always ruin everything!" Kyler yells, throwing a small pottery bowl from the cornucopia against the wall and I watch as shards fall to the ground in a tiny pile of broken clay. I find myself staring at it, almost as if it's an omen. My name _is_ Clay, after all.

"Oh, so now you think I'm fat!" Lindsey scowls, crossing her arms in indifference.

"I'm somewhere nice, I'm somewhere nice…" Altair breathes besides me, rocking back and forth with his knees pulled up to his chest. I'm not sure what it was that gave it away, or how much he even really knows, but I think he's discovering how deep his mental problems seriously are. I still don't think he realizes he has another personality, though. If he did, I think he would have completely lost all the control he has left.

"Why do you misinterpreted everything I say?!" Kyler hisses.

"There's nothing wrong with my hair!" Lindsey shrieks, her hands flying up to her head. I take a sip of water casually.

"There's no place like home, there's no place like home…" Altair mutters to himself, his eyes squeezed shut as he shakes his head as if trying to dispel thoughts from his mind.

"Clay," Lindsey turns to me suddenly. I look up, slightly concerned for my wellbeing. "Go hunting!"

"What?" I ask, confused. "Why?"

"Because," She glances around the room, as if trying to think of a reason. "Because I said so!"

"Who put you in charge?" Kyler scowls. He turns to me. "Clay, go hunting."

Wanting to be as far away from them as possible, I stand up to leave.

"No!" Lindsey yelps. "Clay, I demand you go hunting!"

"I demanded it first!"

"No you didn't! Liar!"

"Maybe you just have as bad a memory as your hearing!"

This is a getting a bit too crazy for my taste. Not taking the time to grab a weapon, I dash to the entranceway and slid out into the main tunnels before anyone can say anything else. I feel kind of bad leaving Altair behind with them, but it's a sacrifice that must be made. If I spend another minute with those two in that cramped cave, I'm going to go as crazy as they are. And I'm the only sane one left.

**Tori, Age 17, District 12**

"You need to eat something." I tell Pixie, trying to get her to open her mouth so I can feed her the tiny piece of bread a sponsor sent. It's a tiny little roll, smaller than my fist. I wave it frustrated in front of her face, and when she doesn't budge I let my arms fall to my sides.

I can't help but think about the way he died. Pixie was so important to him. Before now, I didn't realize how skinny she has gotten; I can see every bone of her rib cage. Jake wanted me to take care of her, and I'm not doing a very good job, now am I? She's all I have left of him, and she's going to die.

I lean against the wall and close my eyes as a single teardrop rolls down my cheek. It's a horrible thing to think that you failed someone. Someone so brave, so selfless… doesn't deserve to be let down like this.

But the question is, I realize, was Jake _really_ selfless? I've heard it said time and time again that suicide is truly one of the most selfish things a person can ever do. Or perhaps that's just something that's said to talk people out of offing themselves. But I do see the logic behind it. You're putting everyone who loves you through so much pain and suffering, just so you can end your own. It does indeed seem a little self-centered.

But then I think about how I volunteered for the Games. I know it's unlikely that I'll come out alive. I knew that from the very beginning. It was practically suicide when I volunteered… and I didn't feel selfish when I did that at all. I volunteered to keep my friend safe. I couldn't watch her go through the Games.

With a pang, I realize that she may think the same things about me. Perhaps she would have rather go through the Games herself instead of watching her best friend march to her death. I didn't think I could live without her, so I volunteered to save myself from pain. Maybe that makes me selfish. Maybe it doesn't.

I pull myself out of my thoughts, reminding myself why I drifted off into this thought process to begin with. I look over at Pixie. She looks the same as she did a few minutes ago, when I was waving the food in her face trying to entice her into eating. She's so small, covered in dirt and dust from the cave walls, eyes staring off into the nothingness. There's something different however.

The bread is gone.

**Lark, Age 15, District 3**

"What was that?" Siggy whispers suddenly. We both tense, and I realize I'm holding my breath. At first there is nothing, only the sound of the water raging far below us. Then, I hear it, the sound of footsteps against the stone.

"Siggy, run ahead," I say quietly, picking a sharp rock up off the ground, and running my fingers over the jagged edge, trying hard not the think about what I'm going to have to do.

"No, Lark," He shakes his head. His voice is strong, though I can see in his eyes that he is just as scared as I am. "I'm staying here with you."

"Siggy," I begin in a hushed tone, but stop as the footsteps grow ever closer. I take a step back and bend my knees a little, as a shape appears around the corner. I don't even give myself time to register who it is before I launch myself at them, bringing my rock downwards towards their torso. They're faster then I expected, dodging out of the way and darting out of range.

For the first time, I look to see who it is I'm fighting: an eighteen year old boy with tan skin, dark brown hair, and glimmering green eyes. He's tall, much taller then me, with muscles but a lean build. He stands strong, in a way that looks completely natural to him. This is someone who's been training to fight all their lives. _Clay_.

"Siggy," I say again, more sternly this time, not taking my eyes off my opponent. "Run."

"But-"

"Run!" I repeat. Not looking, I listen as his footsteps fade down the tunnels.

"I wouldn't have hurt him." Clay says, his eyes boring into mine. "He's too young."

"I didn't want him here," I reply, lunging forward. "To see you die!"

I bring my rock down hard again and this time it rips into his skin. He grits his teeth and kicks me in the stomach, sending me reeling backwards. Before I can straighten up, his foot comes up again, smashing into my nose. I hear it crack, and feel the blood staining my face. If I wasn't so coursed with adrenaline, I'm sure it would be agonizing pain. But all it does is fuel me more.

Swinging my arm out to the side, I bring my stone straight towards his head. He ducks under it, but I swipe his feet out from under him with my own and pounce on his chest. He tries to push me off, but I pin his arms down and stare straight into his eyes.

It's in that moment that I'm taken back, before the Games began, to the day of the interviews. Clay, up on stage. The interviewer asks him about his family, and he tells of his little brother, Luka. His little brother who wants to be like him when he grows up. His little brother, a nice year old boy, whose hero I'm about to murder.

It's in that moment that I hesitate, and Clay uses it to his advantage. He propels me off of him and I go flying across the room, smacking hard into the ground. The impact drives the breath out of my body, and I barely even notice that the stone has been taken from my hand before Clay's bringing it down on my head.

**Dmitri, Age 15, District 7**

She was in my dreams last night. Not the sight of her disappearing below the waves, or racing to escape the falling stones, or even rushing into the bloodbath and bringing an axe down hard in Aries' skull. No, I saw her as she truly was, on the very first day I met her, before the Games. I literally ran into her on the way to the Reaping, to the thing that would change my life forever.

_"Ow!" I said loudly as someone rams into me and we both fall to the ground. "Hey, watch where you're-" I cut off abruptly when I see who I'm talking to. A beautiful girl stands, dusting herself off and batting her deep brown eyes that glimmer in the light. She's skinny but still has some curves and she wears a strapless light-yellow sundress and white sandals, her straight, dark brown hair falling in waves._

_ "Oh, I'm sorry," She blushes, taking my arm and helping me up. She looks down the street and calls to someone I can't quite see. "Raina, slow down and wait for me!" She turns back to me. "I'm sorry; I was trying to catch up to my little sister. Oh no, I got dirt on your outfit! Here, let me help…" She brushes the dirt of my shirt and then takes a step back, looking for any more soil that she might have missed._

I can't help but let a sad smile cross my face at the memory. She was so beautiful then, so untouched by the Capitol and their Games. I swallow hard and tighten my fist. This is partially their fault. The rest is mine. I could have done something. I could have moved faster, or maybe I could have carried her through the water or—but it doesn't matter now, does it? I can't change what happened.

I react instantly when someone walks around the corner, leaping to my feet and readying myself to fight. I hear a high-pitched squeak before I can register anything else, and I find Monroe staring at me, her eyes wider then should be possible. She stumbles backwards, almost tripping over her own feet in her desperation to get away from me. When her back makes contact with the wall it's almost as if she shrinks. She folds in on herself, her arms crossing and her head lowering, knees buckling so she's kneeling on the ground. She breathes heavily, panicked, and is visibly trembling. She thinks I'm going to kill her.

"Hey," I say. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She shakes her head, pulling her knees up to her chest, wisps of blonde hair falling in her face. I crouch down to her level and rest a hand on her shoulder. At first she pulls away from the contact, but then she looks up at me, her blue eyes searching my face timidly for any sign of aggression.

"I'm not going to hurt you." I repeat, smiling a little. Then I frown. "Wait… Monroe… where's Kestrel?"

"He's…" She trails off, and a tear rolls down her cheek.

"Oh no," I breath, pulling her into a hug. He freezes at first, as if this is a foreign concept to her, but eventually she gives in, softly wrapping her arms around me as well. I could apologize, but it wouldn't even begin to make up for what she's lost. Words don't make things better. Actions do.

"What about Eden?" She asks after what seems like a long time, her voice slightly muffled by my shirt. I swallow hard.

"Eden drowned." I say, my voice cracking. Monroe looks up at me in shock, and I give a laugh, though I'm not sure why. It isn't funny. "I guess we have something in common."

"Are you going to leave me?" Monroe blurts out, looking more fragile and helpless then I've ever seen anyone look before.

"No," I shake my head, not even really needing to think about the answer. "We're going to stay together. We're going to keep each other safe."

**Pixie, Age 14, District 5**

I… I don't know how I did it. It was just… Jake is dead and all he wanted was for me to live, and Tori was trying so hard to work with me even though I know she doesn't want to and—and I just moved.

I try to do it again now, and it hurts more then anything I've ever felt. It's as if my bones have caught fire and the blaze is spreading to scorch my entire being. I cease my attempts. I moved my arm just this morning and it didn't hurt like this. What's different now?

Tori seems less sad now. She misses Jake; I can see it in her eyes. His absence is chipping away at her happiness. It's okay. I wouldn't expect anything less.

Everything sounds like it's underwater. The things I hear are muffled and delayed. When Tori says something, the words don't match up with the movement of her lips. Some things I can't hear at all, though I know I should. Like the sound of the water rushing deeper in the tunnels, or a falling rock when it hits the ground. One thing I do hear, however, is the sound of tapping. Like thousands of pens clicking over and over, the noise resonating through the tunnels and bouncing off the walls. It makes my head ache.

"What is it?" Tori breathes, rising to her feet. The sound is louder then it has ever been. If Tori said something more, I couldn't hear it.

I begin to see a shape forming from the darkness. Its feet taller then I am standing up, something I haven't done in what feels like centuries, and walks on hundreds of crooked legs that move in waves to carry it forward. Long antenna move ahead of it, feeling across the cave floor as it goes, and two glossy eyes the size of baseballs stare straight at us.

Tori gasps, but steps in front of me protectively. She unsheathes her sword that had once been Jake's as the centipede mutt draws closer. It stretches upwards, standing on its back legs and looming over us, its pinchers snapping in the air. Tori trembles. She takes a shaky breath and lunges forward, bringing the sword down hard on the centipede's body. The blade didn't even dent its hard armor, and the creature lets out a powerful screech, like that of a cat. It lunges forward faster then I can follow and before I know it, Tori is screaming and clutching at her stomach, blood dripping through her fingers. The centipede strikes again and she's on the ground now. It doesn't stop there, either, but continues to bite into her skin and tear at her flesh until blood soaks her clothes and splatters her face. And all I can do is watch.

_ Boom!_

The sound of the cannon makes the centipede look up abruptly, and I watch as it hurriedly returns to the darkness, leaving me alone. I'm unable to move, but I know what's going to happen to me. I've been left alone in this tunnel somewhere under the surface of the earth, so that I can die.

* * *

**Tributes killed in this chapter**

Tori, Age 17, District 12

Lark, Age 14, District 3

**Alliances**

Careers- Kyler, Lindsey, Altair/Aiden. The Hidden Tunnel, Level Seven

Alliance X- Dmitri, Monroe. Location: The Southern Passage, Level Six

Loner (loyal to the Careers)- Clay. Location: The Main Northeast Tunnel, Level Three

Loner- Siggy. Location: The Main Southeast Tunnel, Level Three

Loner- Fortis. Location: The Main East Passage, Level Five

Loner- Adela. Location: The Main Northwest Tunnel, Level Six

Loner: Pixie. Location: The Main Southwest Tunnel, Level Five


	15. Fix You

**And what have we learned today, children? To stop expecting Rose Hunter to post on the promised dates -_- Okay, I'm so so sorry! But I must admit, I've had the most horrible case of writer's block and and... people trouble. Enough said. I really hope this chapter makes up for it, though after a lot of editing and rereading I can no longer tell if its good or not... so I'll let you decide. Oh, right, this is a family chapter! Hopefully, the next chapter (which will be back in the arena, don't worry) will be posted earlier then usualy since I've already written half of it. It was originally going to be this chapter but then I realized that this would be the perfect time to do a family chapter, despite the fact that they aren't down to eight tributes yet. Oh well. The song in this chapter is Fix You by Coldplay. I hope you like it :)**

* * *

**Wren, Pixie's Father**

My blood must be poison, or at least that's what they say. My second child died when he was still in the womb, and now my first has been marched off to the Hunger Games. She has gone crazy, just like her mother. Her catatonic state, the doctor tells me, is due partially to the trauma induced by the Games and killing the boy… as well as the genes passed down to her from her mother.

_ When you try your best but you don't succeed_

My wife wasn't always like this. She was beautiful and healthy, until Azalea came along. And though I know that none of this was Pixie's fault, I can't help but feel a slight resentment somewhere deep inside of me, thoughts that if perhaps she hadn't been born then her mother would never have fallen ill. But my logical side keeps me sane, reminds me that my daughter didn't chose to be born. But she was, and now she won't be alive for much longer. I can feel it in my bones.

**Seraphina, Siggy's Mother**

Oh, my boy! He's doing so well! Seven days through the Games and he hasn't had anything worse than a scrapped knee… or something. I haven't been paying too much attention. Why would I? I know that he is going to win. It's in his blood.

_ When you get what you want but not what you need_

He's always been my little boy. I know I've been hard on him over the years, but it's taught him to stand up for himself. He's learned to fight on, to be independent. One day he will understand that everything I've done is to make him stronger. Every time I've knocked him down it's just so that the next time he goes to stand up, he'll stand taller then before. Every time I hurt him, it's because I love him. And sometimes love can hurt.

**Tulip, Oak's Younger Sister**

I remember the day Oak left for the Games. My big brother… he looked so handsome, ready to volunteer. He came back from training with a smile on his face, saying that his trainer had finally said he was ready for the Games. We looked a lot alike, with the same blue-green eyes, and the same tan skin. Whenever he smiled it was like it light up the whole room. I miss that smile.

_ When you feel so tired but you can't sleep_

Mom isn't taking it too well. She tries to act strong when I'm around, but I can hear her crying at night, when she thinks I'm asleep. I haven't gotten much sleep lately. She won't eat much, either. She's eating enough to get by, but not enough for it to be healthy. She's losing a lot of weight; it's kind of scaring me.

_ Stuck in reverse_

I know why he volunteered. He wanted a better life for Mom and me. He was tired of us having to live in this little two-room shack. He went off to the Games because he loved us. Sometimes I wish he hadn't cared so much.

**Coco, Aries' Friend**

He was always like a big brother to me from the moment I met him. He was a big lug sitting on the side of the road, moaning to himself about how all he had eaten that day was a piece of bread, and it was already sundown. I slunk out of the shadows and snapped at him for complaining about not having more. Many of the other folks on the street had had even less. But it was okay, because Aries came from a family of riches, and he was used to maids coming in with silver platters of food in the morning and tucking him in at night. I was the one who taught him just how it worked on the streets. Without me, he would be nowhere.

And he took care of me, too. It was more than once that he got me out of a tight space. He saved my life when I was more reckless, and when it was time for him to go off to the Games… I did nothing. I stood in the crowd and watched, mortified, as he marched onto the stage, head held high. Phin got to say goodbye. She kissed him for the first time as he left her for the last.

_And the tears come streaming down your face_

But it wasn't the last time she kissed him. At his funeral she was allowed to go to his side and place one last kiss on his lifeless lips, and tears fell from her eyes to rest in little droplets on his eye lashes. They rested a hand on her shoulder and she took a step back. The light burned my eyes as they light the coffin on fire and sent it adrift on the surface of the lake.

_When you lose something you can't replace_

**Raven, Lark's Younger Sister**

_ When you love someone but it goes to waste_

Lark was the only one who would ever listen to my babbling. I could carry on for hours, talking about all the books that I've read and who my favorite authors were. The others would tell me to be quiet or to just shut up, but Lark never did. And she'd really listen, too, telling me what she thought about things. Sometimes she would draw scenes from the books I'd tell her about and give them to me as presents.

I don't talk to people now that she's gone. I haven't used my voice while other people are around since she died. But this morning while everyone was gone, I sat on her bed and pretended she was with me. I closed my eyes and imagined she was there, just as she had always been, listening to my stories that could go on for eternities. I would tell her, for the millionth time, about Peter Pan and she would just sit there. She wouldn't say anything… but she'd smile, and she'd listen. And that was more than anyone else.

_ Could it be worse?_

**Ariel, Bo's Older Sister**

The Marketplace. That's where I was when he died. Momma sent me to pick up some milk and butter, and when I glanced up at the TV screen in the corner of the room he was being cut open. I dropped to the floor right there and held my head in my hands. I cried until my palms were soaked, and then I ran home where I found a horrible silence hanging over the house.

It never really struck me what was really happening… until then. I knew where he was and I watched every minute of it on the television, but it never quite occurred to me that my little brother, the one I taught how to make brownies and how to wash the dishes, was going to die. I guess I was in denial. But that all ended in one horrible moment, when I saw him up there on that TV screen. It was something that I will never forget. And it is something that I will never forgive.

_ Lights will guide you home…_

No, I'm not quite sure who I'm mad at. Sometimes I think it's the boy who killed him and sometimes it's the Capitol. A few hours ago it was my brothers for not volunteering for him, and then it was the escort for drawing his name. Now… now it is Lark, for letting him go down those tunnels alone. If she comes back, I will kill her. Because he was my brother, and he was someone that I was not ready to lose.

**Wade, Stella's Twin Brother**

"How could you let her go?" I hiss at my father. "She wasn't ready."

_ And ignite your bones…_

"She was as ready as she was ever going to be. But you, Wade, you have so much potential. By next summer you will be the most dangerous career the Games have ever seen." My father says. He takes a step forward to rest his hand on my shoulder but I knock it away.

"Don't touch me, old man," I growl. I send a glance over at the TV that lies broken on the ground. My father tossed it off the table when Stella was caught in the collapsing tunnel. He fell to his knees and squeezed his eyes shut, and he didn't move until the next morning. No one has gone to pick up the pieces. "I am never going into those Games."

**Luka, Clay's Younger Brother**

Every day on my birthday I ask Clay if I'm old enough to go down to the docks and get a job, to work with him to help take care of this family. Every year so far he has said no, that he wants me to have a good childhood. Since he left, I have to work down at the docks, otherwise we'd starve. But I'm happy to work, if it means I'm taking care of our family.

_ And I will try to fix you_

And besides, I'm only keeping the job until Clay comes back. When he gets home I'm sure he'll make me quit. He doesn't want me to work, but I'm already nine. Some of the other children in the district have been working since they were seven. They complain about it all the time. I would gladly take their job because Clay has a job down at the docks… and one day I'm going to be just like him.

When our father died I was five years old. And though I don't remember much of it, I remember one thing, and that was Clay. No matter what happened he was the one who stood strong. He held me when I cried and wiped away my tears, and not once did he make it about him. It was always about the rest of us.

_ And high up above or down below_

I can't help but imagine what would have happened if things were just… a little different. If I had been older this year, old enough that I could have volunteered. Clay would have been mad at me, of course, for taking his place in the Games. And when he would ask why, I would explain that it was what he would have done if I had been the one to be reaped. But of course he wouldn't listen, because he wouldn't hear it. I would tell him not to worry, that I was going to come back to him, because I wouldn't do anything in the Games without thinking: what would my big brother do?

**Accius, Kestrel's Father**

How could they let this happen? So many boys stood in the crowd that day, and not a single one volunteered. Why? It wasn't my boy's time. He was my boy… and though his sister wasn't exactly what I wanted in a daughter, he was all I needed. When his mother left he was all I had. And they took my boy, my Kestrel, away from me! No… this won't be allowed to stand.

_ When you're too in love to let it go_

**Samuel, Monroe's Older Brother**

My mother always told me that Monroe was never going to be enough. She would never be brave enough, or proud enough, or strong enough. But I look at her now and I can't help but think… that perhaps my mother was wrong. There is no shame in the tears she sheds when everyone around her is being cut down where they stand. If anything, they are a sign of bravery, for admitting what is happening around her and not trying to pretend that she is someone else.

_But if you never try, you'll never know_

_Just what you're worth_

I don't think I could be that brave. To watch my life crumble to dust, and then have the hope that it will rebuild itself once the Games are over and done with. Or even to accept that there is no going back, and that what used to be my life is now an empty space in everyone's heart that will never completely be filled again. Or maybe no one would even notice I was gone.

**Orsis, Jake's Father**

Years ago, or perhaps closer than that, my daughter gave up her life to protect my son from the monster that terrorizes our district every night. That same son committed suicide just a few days ago.

"Things will be better tomorrow," I told my wife that night as she cried herself to sleep over the death of Jake. Except, things weren't. The next day I would my wife dead, an empty pill bottle clutched tightly in her hand. Now I'm the only one left.

_ Lights will guide you home…_

**Evelyn, Claudia's Mother**

"She never wanted this!" I shout. "Look what you forced her into."

"You weren't much help, either," My husband, Jonathan, replies. "As I recall, you didn't realize that she was trying to tell you she didn't want to volunteer until she was already gone."

_And ignite your bones…_

"You can't possibly be trying to blame this all on me," I frown, crossing my arms. My husband sighs and goes to walk away. My mouth drops open. "Don't you walk away from me!"

"This is your fault!" He bursts suddenly, whirling around and throwing a glass of water through the air. It shatters against the wall behind me and I hear a loud thump. I turn around, my eyes wide. We only have one picture of Claudia in our house, and he just knocked it down. Ignoring the shards of glass that cut at my skin, I pick the broken frame up from the ground and brush away some of the glass fragments. It's from when she was in seventh grade, and we had traveled to the Capitol to watch the Games there. We saved for that trip ever since she was a little girl, and I realize now that she didn't even want to go.

_ And I will try to fix you_


	16. Mirage

**Well, hello there! I think it's about time that I let it be known, there are going to be ten days in all that our tributes spend in the arena. That means that after this chapter, there are only three left. AH! Anywho, as far as risk-taking goes... this chapter gets a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10. Keep in mind, most of my chapters are about a 3 or a 4 on that scale. You'll see why. But I honestly don't feel nervous at all about this chapter... just tell me what you think. And, fair warning, this is very weird and hopefully completely unpredictable. But that's what makes a story good, right?**

* * *

**Monroe, Age 15, District 1**

"And it just came out of nowhere," Dmitri gushes. "I never knew it was coming, and neither… neither did she. And then it pulled her away, and all of a sudden she… she was gone."

"Dmitri," I say quietly, looking up at him. "There was nothing you could do. This isn't your fault."

"But I loved her," He whispers, so quietly I can barely hear him. "And I never got to tell her that."

"I understand," I say, pale blue eyes appearing in my mind. The way he was so silent yet had so much to say, the way he held my hand, but _just once_… I miss the way things were before he left.

"Kestrel?" Dmitri guesses.

"Yes…" I nod, trying to ignore the black hole of misery eating away at my insides.

"What happened to him?"

I swallow hard. "He got in a fight with Jake… he was winning, at first, but then Jake knocked the knife from his hand, and threw him against the wall…"

"Oh," He mutters, wide-eyed.

"He died on contact." I finish, turning to Dmitri. "But that was different. I could have stopped the fight if I wanted to. I could have done _something_. But when Eden got dragged under there was nothing you could do. It's _not_ your fault."

He sits there for a moment, thinking hard. I watch curiously as he turns to me, clearly having reached some sort of conclusion in his mind.

"I wish there was something I could have done," He says slowly. "So I could blame someone. Anyone, even if it was me. Someone has to be responsible for her death. But… it's not me, is it? I couldn't have done anything… and I've decided something."

"Yes?"

"I want to leave this arena." He says. "But I want to leave it the way I came: without any regrets."

There is a long moment of silence. I don't think anyone has left the arena without any regrets. Even Abrielle, who won last year for not only herself but the life of her unborn child, has to regret the death of the boy's father. Sterling. She could have saved him is she hadn't let him take that knife for her. Or maybe she regrets killing Vencitiy, the girl from Four who threw the knife to start with. Or perhaps she regrets the death of Peregrine Keating, the sister Kestrel never loved.

"And Dmitri,"

"Yeah?"

"There is someone you can blame for her death," I say, my eyes closed.

"Who?" His voice is full of desperation, with an edge of hot resentment.

"The gamemakers"

**Adela, Age 16, District 9**

I spent a week now searching for Pixie, the girl who murdered my brother. Seven days trying to decide the best way to kill her when I find her. At first I thought I'd kill her slowly, the way Lindsey ripped apart Marcella and Jade in the bloodbath. But then I realized I couldn't wait that long. I need it to be quick; I've already spent enough time waiting for her death, but I'm going to watch the light fade from her eyes.

And here I am, having searched for what feels like an eternity, just walking along the tunnels… when I find her. She sits simply, her back up against the stone wall, her hands folded in her lap and her legs stretched out in front of her. Her eyes stare out into the nothingness of the tunnels and even as I approach in plain sight she does not move. I glance around nervously. All of her allies are dead, but this is too good to be true.

I lung at her and wrap my hands around her neck, pinning her to the ground. She's like a rag doll. She doesn't move, doesn't even blink as I tighten my grip around her throat. My eyes narrow and I feel a cold, cruel smile playing across my face.

And to think, Alo died because he thought I needed protection.

"_Adela_…" I hear a soft voice say. That voice—it's that voice! My eyes widen and I look over my shoulder, my hands never leaving Pixie's neck. My mouth drops open a bit when I see that, for once, someone is actually there.

Or rather, a _something_ that looks like a _someone_. A girl with long, flowing brown hair stands in the tunnels. Her skin is transparent, and her eyes glow white like the elegant gown she wears.

"Who are you?" I breathe.

"_My name_…" She says slowly, as if it's hard to remember. "_My name was once Madilynn. But that doesn't matter now_."

"You're like an angel," I gape. "Like an angel of the arena."

"_Funny you say it like that_," She chuckles, as if remembering something someone had said long ago. Then she frowns, becoming very serious, and I feel Goosebumps form along my arms. "_But this isn't about me, this is more important. You need to let her live_."

"Why?" I frown. A sliver of doubt creeps into my heart, but I quickly push it away.

"_Look at her, Adela_," Madilynn says, walking over to stand beside me. I hesitate before looking down at Pixie. For the first time I see how scrawny, how weak she is. No one is taking care of her; she looks like she hasn't eaten anything of substance in days. "_She's already dead_."

I loosen my grip slightly, but not enough to let her breathe.

"_Is this what you think your brother would have wanted_?" My hands fall to my sides, balled into fists. I whirl around, my face inches away from hers.

"And what would you know about Alo?" I spit. "I know what happened. Alo was about to kill Jake when Pixie killed him. He couldn't say anything against me without being a hypocrite. And besides, this is justice. I'm killing a killer."

"_That makes you no better then her_," She points out. "_When Alo went to kill Jake he thought he was protecting you. He died protecting you. Who are you protecting by killing Pixie, Adela? She's catatonic. Your brother wasn't the only one who died when she stabbed him_."

"I…" I mutter, my eyes watering. I turn to her. "Shut up."

"_You're brother wanted you to live, to win these Games_," She continues. "_But not this way_."

"Shut up," I say. "Shut up!"

I reach for a loose stone about the size of a basketball, and hurl it at her image, hot tears racing down my cheeks. She evaporates like water into white mist the second the rocks hits her. Turning, I don't even think, though I know what I'm about to do. I pull my foot back. And then I bring it down on Pixie's head. The cannon sounds… and her life is gone.

**Lindsey, Age 16, District 10**

"Oh, gosh, Puddin'!" I call down the tunnels. "Puddin', where are you?!""

"Aiden thinks this is pointless," Altair says, stalking along beside me, eyes narrowed murderously. "Aiden thinks we should go hunting."

"Yeah?" I glare at him. "Lindsey thinks you should shut up! My Puddin' is out there all alone. He's probably cold and lost and… and lonely! Oh, Puddin', Lindsey's coming for you!"

I take off down the tunnels and Aiden jogs along behind me. Kyler never came back last night, and I've been worried sick. I know it's my fault he's gone, for being mean to him. I'm not sure how long I run for, but I eventually reach a point where I can't take it anymore and I collapse to my knees, breathing hard, eyes squeezed shut tight.

"Aiden thinks this is pointless," He repeats.

"You said that already." I growl.

"Aiden doesn't care," He shrugs. His eyes are wild and hungry, like a mad dog. I like them. "Aiden believes it's true. Aiden wants to go hunting."

"Well, I don't care," I snap, growing impatient. We're wasting time arguing about this. I need to find Kyler, and I need to find him now. He's out there all alone in the cold, mean tunnels… anything could be happening to him! He could be anywhere in the arena, and the worst part is, he's anywhere _without me_!

"Aiden thinks Kyler is already dead,"

"Shut up!" I screech. In an instant I'm on my feet and I bring the back of my hand down hard on his face. His head jerks to the side and he spits blood out of his mouth before looking at me with those crazed eyes. A minute ago I liked them. Now I want to rip them out.

He lunges at me, pushing me hard up against the wall. Rocks scrap at my back as I bring my foot up into his stomach, trying to push him away from me. He grits his teeth, but he doesn't move an inch. With a battle cry, I bring the crown of my head down hard on his nose and hear a satisfying snap. Looking up, blood gushes from his nose but he doesn't even flinch, just continues to stare at me with narrowed, harsh blue eyes.

Then I begin to hear the sound of screams. They grow louder and louder until the sound dominates the stone corridor. I can't hear anything over the screams, if there is anything else to hear at all. I listen for a moment more and realize that it isn't human. No, it belongs to something that I've only heard a few times in my life. _Bats_. The sound of wing beats begin as a faint noise, underneath the sound of the screeches, but then it grows in power as well, until the noises match in volume, creating a horrific song that etches itself into my mind.

_ "Let's leave, Lindsey," My twin brother, Everest, says, looking at me with eyes that look nothing like my own. "I don't like it in here."_

_ "No way, Everest, I'm going deeper inside," I giggle. The cave we found is difficult to navigate, with a low roof and walls that were at least a hundred feet apart. The floor is sloping steeply downward, and tilted to the side so it's amazingly difficult to walk. Added to this, the floor's made entirely of individual rocks and stones. It's impossible to tell which ones are safe to walk on and which will fall away. I like it, though. It's much more exciting._

_ "This isn't safe," My brother persists._

_ "That's why it's so fun!" I grin, talking a little louder than I meant to. Suddenly, I see them, covering the ceiling in a thick layer of fur and wings. They let out screeches and screams before lifting into flight, heading straight at me. I yell out in panic as the bats swarm around my body, biting and nipping at my skin. I try to run but the stones slide out from under me, and then I'm falling, rolling down the hill, the jagged stones clawing at my sides as I tumble downward. I finally come to a stop when my head bashes into a stone and my sight blurs red. _

I snap out of my visions just as the bats arrive upon us. They cover the world in thick, black fur and I can feel them ripping away at me. They're much more vicious than the bats from my memory. They rip chunks of my flesh away and yelp louder than they should be able to. I hear a canon sound and vaguely see flashes of Altair, lying dead on the ground. Finally, I seem to understand what's going on, and I push my way through the flying creatures.

I know I'm only walking for a few minutes, maybe even a few seconds, but it feels like it takes a few hours to break free of the swarm. Eyes wide and breathing hard, I lay down on the cold ground. I look at my arms. They're covered in nicks and scratches. Large chunks of flesh are missing in several places and my hair is wild and tangled (not that it wasn't before). My clothes are soaked with blood and torn up, the pants lined with holes.

Was that memory real? Is that how my head got so screwed up? I can never be sure. All the memories feel like they are the right one, the real answer to my past. I was exposed to toxic chemicals as a child. I was kicked in the head by a horse. A scientist kidnapped me and experimented on me. I almost drowned when I was little. I had an incident with a rapist. I was struck by lightning. I'll never find out.

It's not like I don't want to know. I've asked my brother over and over again what it was that made me this way. I don't mind being crazy, I find it a rather enjoyable alternative lifestyle. I just want to know. But Everest says he doesn't want to talk about it, that maybe he'll be able to tell me one day. But I know the truth, and that is that he's lying. He doesn't know what happened, either.

* * *

**Tributes killed in this chapter**

Altair, Age 15, District 12

Pixie, Age 14, District 5

**Alliances**

Alliance X- Dmitri, Monroe. Location: The Eastern Passage, Level Six

Loner- Kyler. Location: The Northern Passage, Level Seven

Loner- Clay. Location: The Southeast Tunnel, Level Three

Loner- Lindsey. Location: The Western Passage, Level Seven

Loner- Siggy. Location: The Southeast Tunnel, Level Three

Loner- Fortis. Location: The Main East Passage, Level Five

Loner- Adela. Location: The Main Northwest Tunnel, Level Six

**Notice**

There are only eight tributes left. Who do you want to win? Vote in the poll on Rose Hunter's profile now!


	17. Promise to Depart

**Words cannot describe how bad I feel for not updating for so long, but you'd never begin to imagine how busy I've been! First I had to go to South Carolina for Thanksgiving and then last week was a total mess. I had three different projects due plus my general homework and it was a total disaster! I just died. Really, I'm a ghost. Don't worry, though, the Extermely Important Information Update OMG belong, along with the chapter, is going to make it up to you. The song in this chapter is Prelude 12/21 by AFI. **

_**EXTREMELY IMPORTANT INFORMATION UPDATE OMG- Guess what guys? I'm abou to release vital information! No, it's not a spoiler. My next SYOT is going to be titled And So It Goes. It's after the song The Bird And The Worm by The Used, which has a line that guys, "If he can't relieve it, it grows... and so it goes..." But there's a catch this year... ITS A QUARTER QUELL. Mmhmm, you heard right. The theme? "To remind the districts of those driven insane by the horror of the dark days, the tributes must have been commited to a mental asylum at some point in their lives." Sorry if that ruins your plans but... dude, its going to be awesome! I'm so excited! I'm accepting tributes a little differently this time around, however. The form is on my profile so you'll have to PM it to me. I'm accepting tributes from now until a few weeks after The Kill ends (only two more chapters...). Once I stop accepting tributes, I'll be picking the best characters, regardless of who submitted them or when they were submitted. Therefore, you have between now and whenever to submit as many tributes as you want. Just make sure they're good. Let the submitting begin! And may the odds me ever in your favor.**_

* * *

**Lindsey, Age 16, District 10**

I watch as the centipede slowly crawls across the ground, its legs moving beneath it in waves. The thing is only the size of my finger and I've been watching it for about an hour now. It crawled across my hand at one point and I could feel every leg as they moved, carrying the creature forward across my skin.

I haven't moved since last night. Everything seems to hurt now. I tried to stand and my legs felt like they were on fire. Some of the cuts started bleeding again.

And to think, this is all because of Kyler. If he hadn't run off I wouldn't have been looking for him in the first place, and we wouldn't have been attacked by those bats. It cost Altair his life. Not that I care much, since he was trying to murder me, anyway.

_ This is what I brought you, this you can keep_

Sometimes, like now, I can't help but hate the things Kyler does. He takes advantage of me by having him help hunt down and kill the other tributes, because he knows I love him. And then he just runs off whenever he feels like it, not even saying goodbye or anything, after I did everything he asked me to do, after I gave myself to him. It's in these moments that I hope he gets eaten alive by some horrible beast.

Then I hear footsteps echoing in the tunnels.

"Puddin?!" I yelp, leaping to my feet, and forgetting my pain.

"Lindsey?" I hear Kyler's slightly annoyed, and very surprised, voice say. I've found him. I speed down the tunnels in the direction his voice came from and within seconds he's standing in front of me. We're in a cave I haven't seen before with a low ceiling that I could touch, stalagmites and stalactites stretching from the floor and ceiling, stone glistening with water from the cave walls. I throw myself into his arms and he stands there dumbfounded.

_ This is what I brought, you may forget me_

"Oh, Puddin, I missed you so much!" I squeal. "I was so worried! I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Get off me," Kyler hisses, pushing me away.

"What was that for?" I frown.

"Just don't touch me," He scowls.

"Why? Are you sick?"

"Yes!" He throws his hands up in the air, an exasperated look on his face. "I'm sick of you!"

My eye twitches, and it gets worse when I think of Altair.

"You dick," I say bluntly. He blinks in shock, and I continue. "I've been searching everywhere for you, running through the tunnels like my life depended on it, just in the hopes that I would find you. Altair died—and I almost did, too! And now that I find you, you say you don't want me to touch you?!"

I get louder as I go on, and as I reach to the end of my words I can feel my anger rising. I push him backwards and he stumbles a bit. I expect him to just regain his balance. That's not what happens. He trips over the loose rocks, and I watch, almost in slow motion, as he falls backwards and a stalagmite goes through his spine. His eyes grow wide and his back arches as it breaks free of his chest. For a moment he lays still, the rock soaked in blood and protruding from his flesh, before he slowly turns his head to look at me.

_ I promise to depart, just promise one thing_

"No," I whisper before rushing to his side and cradling his head in my hands. "I'm so sorry… I never meant to hurt you."

"I…" He breathes, so quietly I can barely hear. A drop of blood drips out of his mouth and down his chin. His canon sounds, and his eyes glaze over.

_ Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep_

Reaching forward with trembling hands, I close his eyes and lower my head to his chest. I intertwine my fingers with his. His skin is ice cold. The last of my strength disappears and I finally break down crying.

"I love you, too, Puddin."

**Siggy, Age 12, District 8**

I try to hard to ignore the sharp pain in my gut as I plod miserably down the tunnels. My stomach growls and I stop to listen as the sound echoes four times, bouncing off the stones. My stomach feels like its digesting itself, which wouldn't surprise me. I lean against the wall, intending to only stop for a minute.

It's been hard on my own. I haven't seen food in days now, and the last time I had water was last night. Or at least I think it was last night. I'm not really sure. I haven't seen the sun since they threw me in this arena. Whether its night or day… I don't really know. But it feels like it's been ten, maybe eleven hours since water last went down my dry throat. It hurts whenever I swallow.

I miss Lark. She took care of me more than anyone else ever has. More than my mother. She saved my life in the Bloodbath, when Bo was going to shoot me. But she stepped in between the arrow and I. She's the reason I'm alive, and I owe it to her to win and become Victor. It's what she would have wanted.

_ This is what I brought you, this you can keep_

I find myself drifting off, and I have to shake myself to stay awake. Whenever I shake my head too hard, it feels as if my brain is rattling around inside my skull. I pull my legs up to my chest and rest my chin on my knees, my eyes half closed.

I didn't get much sleep last night. It's hard to with all the nightmares. It's such a horrible nightmare, and it's always the same. I find myself in the tunnels, but the walls are perfectly smooth gray surfaces, with no jagged cuts or edges. They curve to form a perfect circle with the ceiling and floor. The tunnel never turns or splits. It's just the same old straight line, going on and on for eternity. And no matter how much I run, no matter how fast I go, I never escape. And I grow old in these tunnels, never leaving and finding love, never having children or grandchildren, or a life beyond this stupid hole… I never escape.

_This is what I brought, you may forget me_

So you can imagine my reaction when I hear the clicking of stones deeper in the tunnel to my left. At first it's just one and it's very faint. But then I hear it again, louder, closer. I leap to my feet and look around frantically. I grin madly when I see a small nook in the wall behind me. I slide into it and stare at the stone wall only inches in front of my face. I try desperately to control my breathing and flatten myself as much as I possibly can against the wall, wedging myself as far into the nook as I can.

"Hello?" I hear a voice say, and I roll my eyes at the stupidity. If you're in the Hunger Games you don't just say hello like you're talking to an acquaintance in school. However, I can't help but notice the familiarity in the voice and I rack my brain to remember who the voice belongs to. It's male, but I can't quite place it…

"Hello?" He repeats and my eyes open wider than ever as I recognize who it is.

Clay.

"Siggy, is that you?"

I slam my eyes shut in horror as he says my name. He was the one who killed Lark. I don't know how she died… but he killed her. Maybe he slit her throat, or threw her against a wall, but he killed her. And now she's gone, and I'm all alone, and there's no one to blame but him. This is his fault.

_I promise to depart, just promise to sing_

I remember something my mother once told me. She said that if I ever found myself in a tight situation, that it's best to run as fast as I can. And if I can't run, she said, then I'm done for.

I feel hands grab my jacket and I shriek as I'm pulled out of my hiding place. The blood pounds in my ears as I fling myself from side to side, desperately trying to escape. Strong arms wrap around me to hold me in place. I kick and scream, not caring if the other tributes hear, urgently trying to free myself.

"Siggy, calm down," Clay's voice says, laced with anxiety. "And shut up."

"No!" I yell, my eyes watering. I can feel myself begin to tremble uncontrollably as I think about what's going to happen. Clay is going to kill me. Strangle me, stab me, it doesn't matter… I'm going to die in this hell. Just like I do every night in my dreams. "You're going to kill me just like you killed Lark! HOW COULD YOU KILL HER?!"

I take a deep shaking breath, my face contorted in a grimace and my eyes squeezed tightly shut. "She was all I had."

"I'm not going to hurt you," Clay says quietly.

"What?" I blink in confusion. "You're not?"

"No," Clay sighs. "I was hoping I would run into you again. I know Lark was all you had, Sig… I want to help you. Now I'm going to let you go. Promise me that you won't run away."

I nod, too shocked for words.

Clay's arms release me and I take a few steps forward, turning to face him. He looks exactly like he did when I last saw him, before I left Lark behind and before he killed her. My muscles are tense. I'm ready to bolt at any sign of hostility.

"It's my fault you're alone now," Clay stares intently at the floor, his hair falling in his eyes.

"It _is_ your fault," I say under my breath so he can't hear me.

"I feel bad for that," He continues, looking up at me. He holds out his hand and I stare at it in surprise. "I want to form a temporary alliance… as a sort of apology."

"What could you possibly gain from that?" I say skeptically, narrowing my eyes.

"The same thing you would," He replies. "A friend."

Slowly, I reach out with my own hand to take his. His hands are strong and scarred, while mine are still those of a child. It's almost comical. For a moment our eyes meet and I can't help but think… these are the eyes of a murderer.

_ Kiss my eyes and lay my to sleep_

"Allies"

**Monroe, Age 15, District 1**

"What's that noise?" I say, sitting up.

"I don't hear anything," Dmitri mumbles, half asleep.

"Listen," I insist. He pulls himself to his feet and stretches before cupping his hands around his ears. Thousands of tapping noises, like a pen against the glass of a windowpane, echoes through the tunnels, steadily growing louder and louder until my heartbeat is racing and my eyes are frantically searching shadows, looking for the source of the noise.

"What is that?!" I shout over the sound.

"I don't know!" Dmitri replies. He holds out his hand and I hesitate slightly before taking it. He pulls me to my feet and guides me towards the wall, standing in front of me protectively.

It's at moments like these that I can't help but marvel at him. This is a fit to the death, the last person standing will be the only one to survive… and someway, somehow he still finds the courage and reason to protect me. He still finds a way to stand in front of me in the face of danger, completely willing to sacrifice his safety for mine. I wish I could be that strong. Oak was.

"Dmitri, look," I whisper. I point to something sparkling on the ground a few feet away. He glances at me nervously before taking a few steps towards it. Cautiously he reaches out to it, pulling it from the shadows. In his hands he holds a powerful sword with a golden hilt. A note is attached to it by a string, which he pulls off gently, his eyes skimming the paper.

He looks up at me, eyes filled with terror.

"What does it say?" I ask, horrified.

_ This is what I thought, I thought you need me_

He swallows hard. "It says… _turn around_."

It's in that moment that I see it, looming upwards out of the darkness, thousands of legs pulling it forwards across the stone. Its beady black eyes seem to stare into my very soul as it rears up, venom dripping from its pinchers and the light of the tunnels gleaming off its armored body. It lets out a cry, almost like a rooster, before diving straight for Dmitri, fast than my eyes can follow. He leaps out of the way just in time… but he leapt away from me.

I can feel the fear coursing through my veins as the centipede mutt slowly turns its head to face me. I stumble backwards a few feet before turning around completely, taking off down the tunnel at a full sprint. Dmitri is right behind me as I ran as fast as I can away from the monster. I look back over my shoulder to see that the creature had disappeared from my view. Once I turn my head around again, however, it's directly in front of me. I scream and throw myself to the side to avoid running into its snapping jaws.

"Dmitri, look out!" I shriek as the centipede dives towards him. Dmitri yells out, leaping out of the way. The creature, however, snags Dmitri's shirt with his pinchers and drags him up into the air. Dmitri fruitlessly swings at the monster with his sword. With one swift movement, the creature sends him flying into the wall and I screech as he smacks into the rock and falls to the floor in a sickening heap.

Then the centipede turns towards me.

_ This is what I thought so think me naïve_

All thoughts leave me suddenly and the blood rushing in my ears is all that I can hear. I'm completely frozen. I can't move, can't even breathe, as the monster dives towards me. I close my eyes and wait for the pain the shoot through my body, but instead a horrid screeching sound brings me out of my shock. I open my eyes to see Dmitri standing over the centipede, his sword lodged firmly into its head.

"Thank you," I whisper, walking to his side.

"I told you," He said. "I'm leaving this arena without any regrets."

**Fortis, Age 18, District 11**

I run my fingers over the wound in my shoulder. It's healing up, slowly. It'll take at least a month for it to heal… if I survive that long.

_ I promise you a heart just promise one thing_

I'm not sure why, but I find my thoughts drifting back to Animi. The wolf pup went missing on the second day of training and I haven't seen him since. I wonder if they've found him… or if they found out what happened to him. It's a horrible thought… that he might have gotten hurt or might even be dead. I don't know how that would happen, though. After all, who would hurt a puppy?

**Adela, Age 15, District 9**

I scream out as I'm carried off my feet by a powerful force from the side. I'm slammed into a wall, rocks scrapping at my back, and I desperately trash around, trying to get a hold of the situation. For a moment I see Clay's sparkling green eyes and then a fist connects with my face. I feel a bone in my nose crack and blood begins to gush from my right nostril. I kick out with my foot and feel it hit something. Clay stumbles backwards slightly, enough to get me out of my horrible position pinned up against the wall. I stand facing him in the tunnel now. He stands tense and ready, a bruise already forming on his left calf where I kicked him. Behind him, Siggy stands, his light brown eyes wide with fear.

Clay dives forward and I leap out of the way at the last second. I grab the closest rock and throw it at him. It makes contact with his side and he lets out a small moan before lunging at me again, this time grabbing my elbow. Spinning me around, he throws me up against the wall. All the wind is knocked out of me and I struggle to catch my breath. I feel Clay's hands on my shoulders. He pulls me forward before throwing me back into the stone, again and again. My head smashes against the rock and I can feel the blood begin to trickle down my neck. The pain is unbearable, stabbing through me every time I make contact with the wall.

_ Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep_

My vision goes black at the edges and I begin to lose my sense of space and time. Where am I? When am I? Who am I? I can't remember. All that's left in the word is pain, the constant smash of my skull against the rocks. I've long since forgotten how to breathe. And those green eyes… I'm not even sure who they belong to anymore, or if they actually belong to anyone. But the only thing I can think of when I look into them is fear, agonizing terror that leaves a mark on my very soul.

A bright light flashes behind the green eyes and a white mist appears. The shape of a girl begins to form and for some reason I remember her name. It's Madilynn.

"You said you would save me!" I scream, finding my voice again. "Why didn't you save me?!"

_ Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep_

She turns her head, refusing to look at me. "I did everything I could."

The rest of the world turns black and even those horrible green eyes fade away, until Madilynn becomes my universe, the only thing left in existence besides the pain.

"And in the end, it was you who let your life slip through your fingers."

_ Kiss my eyes and lay me to… sleep…_

* * *

**Tributes killed in this chapter**

Kyler, Age 17, District 2

Adela, Age 15, District 9

**Alliances**

Alliance X- Dmitri, Monroe. Location: The Northern Passage, Level Six

Alliance T- Siggy, Clay. Location: The Main Northwest Tunnel, Level Six

Loner- Lindsey. Location: The Northern Passage, Level Seven

Loner- Fortis. Location: The Main Western Passage, Level Five


	18. Before the Storm

**I hope you all had an awesome Christmas! Or Hanukkah if you're Jewish! Or Yule if you're Wiccan! Or Constitution Day if you live in Taiwan! Or Takanakuy if you live in the Chumbivilcas Province of Peru! Or whatever Winter holiday you celebrate! I love you all! *passes out snow-covered roses to everyone***

**This chapter is short and it's bothering me -.- Oh well, it's preparing you for the next chapter which would just happen to be THE LAST CHAPTER. Once this story is over and done, And So It Goes will become my main focus. I'm going to post a little prelude sort of thing (you'll see ;P) with the tribute form in it, which will no doubt start getting us a lot of character submissions, even more than we've already gotten. Actually, if you were wondering, at this point in time, I have already recieved eighteen tributes. To be honest, I WANT to have a lot of tributes. Really, I want it to be hard to decide which characters I'm going to be used. And nothing makes me happier than getting new tributes submitted. So submit as many times as you want, and do it creatively! **

**Morgan Freeman: ****And be prepared. Because the next chapter... is the last. *cannon sounds in background***

* * *

**Siggy, Age 12, District 8**

I follow Clay down the tunnels, letting him lead the way. I don't know where we're going, and I honestly don't think he does, either. I don't like this. This alliance. He murdered Lark, and it doesn't make any sense why he wants to keep me around. I think he might just want to kill me in my sleep. It wouldn't be a surprise.

I don't trust him. Why would I? I know how much he wants to go home to his family, I can see it in his eyes. It's the same look I see in my reflection. The thing is, Clay already has a family. I want to go back to District Eight so I can find one. A real one, not the messed up excuse for a family that my mother tried so hard to build. No, I'm not going back to that. Her version of a family was sick and twisted. I realize that now.

"Let's take a break," Clay says, sitting down on a large boulder. I crouch down, facing the wall with my hand up against the rock to help me balance, and my eyes squeezed tightly shut.

I need to get out of here. I hate this arena. I hate everything about it. Sometimes it feels like the air is getting so thin that I can barely breathe it, and the walls are closing in, ready to crush me. This is one of those times. I take a deep breath and when I open my eyes I find a black dagger on the ground in front of me, glistening in the dim light. My throat constricts and my stomach lurches when I read the words inscribed on the blade: Traitor's Bane.

_ I sit in front of the television, my young eyes glued to the screen as a twelve-year-old boy sits on the sand, staring out at the ocean before him. He looks just like I do._

_ "That's your father," My mother says from where she sits on the couch behind me, pointing at the TV. The two older boys in my father's alliance begin to argue. The oldest draws his weapon. "Look, Siggy! Here comes your father's dagger."_

_ Down from the clouds, like a gift from heaven, a parachute came, bell chiming as it landed gently in the sand. My father glanced over at the two boys. They were fighting now, one with a sword and the other with a battle axe. Neither had noticed the parachute's arrival. Crawling over to it, my father opened the metal container to find a black dagger inside. _

_ The Traitor's Bane. _

_ "Siggy, come see," My mother motions for me to follow her as she heads out into the hallway. She steps in front of a glass case, a proud beam on her face. Inside, the dagger lies on a bed of blood-red silk. "Do you know what this is?"_

_ I nod, "It's my father's dagger, Traitor's Bane."_

_ "Yes," She grins, looking back at the blade. "It took quite a bit of convincing to get the Capitol to let us keep it, but it was worth it. Your father won his Games with this dagger, and one day you will, too."_

How my mother managed to get it here to me, I have no idea. The important thing, though, is that it's here. I have a weapon. Clay doesn't.

"What's that?" He asks. I look over my shoulder and slid the dagger into my sleeve.

"Nothing."

**Fortis, Age 18, District 11**

I freeze when I hear the sound of rocks clicking against each other in the tunnels behind me. I don't even get the chance to turn around when a huge weight slams into my back, sending me tumbling to the ground. The impact knocks the breath out of me and I struggle to regain it.

"Hey Fortis Tortoise, did you miss me?" A cold voice, like ice shards on cement, says and my eyes widen. I roll over onto my back to see Lindsey standing over me, her oversized hammer wielded above her head.

For a second our eyes meet and I can't help but be a little shocked. They're crazed and hungry, more so than they've ever been before. They're desperate and wild, terrifying, like burning flames that have been knocked over, lighting everything it touches on fire. The flames were her insanity and now they've taken over her, destroying the little bit of humanity she had left.

I roll out of the way as she goes to bring the hammer down on me again, a crazed laugh escaping her lips. I pull myself to my feet and attempt to run, but she drops her hammer and sinks her nails into my skin, dragging me backwards. She rakes them down my face before I bring my elbow back on her nose and pull out my machete, ready to fight back. She cackles and cartwheels back a bit, grabbing her hammer and charging at me again. I dodge under it and bring my machete swiftly downwards. The blade plunges into her left calf and blood drips out of the wound. She falls to her knees, eyes squeezed tightly shut in silent pain.

Suddenly she rips the machete from her leg and lunges at me, catching me by surprise. I feel myself hit the ground and I take a sharp intake of breathe when I realize she has my arms pinned down with her legs as she sits on my chest, gazing at me with those mortifying eyes.

"You never answered my question," She grins demonically, running the flat side of the blade against the cheek she scratched. "Did you miss me?"

"Just kill me and get it over with," I growl.

"Oh, I'll get to the killing part," She chuckles. "First, I thought you would want to know what it was that happened to your dog…"

My eyes widen and I stare up at her. "What did you do to Anime?!"

"Oh, he was a sweet little thing," She smiles wistfully. "In fact, I loved him so much that I decided to make him my _good luck charm_."

She reaches under the neckline of her shirt and pulls out a rusty chain. Attached to it is the blood-covered, skinned tail of my wolf pup. I scream at her, but before I can move, she plunges the blade into my heart, and all goes black.

**Monroe, Age 15, District 1**

A cannon sounds and my already trembling fingers begin to shake horribly. Any more and I'll look like I'm having a spasm. My breathing is shallow and my palms are sweaty as I think about the coming day. With such a small amount of tributes, there can be only one day left. I find it difficult to think I'll survive.

"Are you alright?" Dmitri asks, looking over at me. I shake my head and pull my knees up to my chest. "What's wrong?"

I take a shaky breath and reply, "Tomorrow is the last day… I'm going to die."

There's a long moment of silence.

"Be brave."

It's that simple two-word statement that opens up my eyes. After all that's happened… there is no way I'll let myself die. Not after Oak gave up his life for me, and not after I watched Kestrel lose his. I'm not going to let any of that go to waste any more. I'm going to do what's right. I'm going to be brave. No matter what it takes.

**Lindsey, Age 16, District 10**

I rip off a piece of my shirt and wrap it around my injured leg, pulling it tightly. I grit my teeth and ignore the pain, wiping the blood from my hand onto my face. I grab Fortis's machete and throw it at the wall. It sends a loud, horrible sound echoing down the tunnel, and I pick it up again, stabbing it in between the stones on the ground.

Standing, I walk down the tunnels, head bent slightly and my eyes narrowed in blood lust. I don't think clearly anymore. I can't think at all. But it doesn't matter, all that matters is the blood and the pain of everyone else, it's all I need. It'll make me feel better, and it'll make me feel human again, the tearing of living flesh beneath my nails. I dig my nails into my arm and grin at the sight of blood, licking it off and continuing down the stone corridor.

I want to kill them all. I want to see Clay's head crushed beneath my hammer. I want to rip open Dmitri's rib cage and rip out his heart with my own hands. I want to snap Monroe's neck and watch her fall limply to the floor. I want to sink my teeth into Siggy's neck until my face is covered in his blood.

I look at the cold stones and whisper, "I am the monster under every bed… and I _will_ kill you all."

* * *

**Abby, Age 15, District 11 Mentor**

"Shush, sweetheart," I say gently to Kane, running Sherman the lint roller over his blanket to calm him. "You're father might not be here with us physically, but he'll live on in our hearts, forever. Even though time may force us to part with those we love, they never truly leave. And you're father will always be with you. I promise."

I smile as his eyes close, and I look back at the screen. I'm in my control room, watching the Games go by. It's a small white room, completely bare except for the desk that sits in front of me and the two equally-sized screens that sit on it. The one on the right shows live feed of whichever tribute I pick, and I can do so by tapping profiles on my touch-screen that the Capitol so kindly provided for me. If my tributes weren't dead, I would be using it to monitor them and send them parachutes, if necessary. On the left screen I get to watch the same thing that Capitol and District citizens get to see, dramatic music and all. I've found that what citizens see is about two minutes behind real time. It's sad to think that if you're in the districts, your family member could have died a minute ago and you wouldn't even know.

My eyes narrow in confusion when I hear an odd scuffling sound. At first I ignore it, but then it grows louder. It's coming from underneath my desk. I wheel back, Kane in my arms, and stand up. I take a deep breath before crouching down, and my eyes widen when I see a scared-looking pair of eyes blinking back at me. Animi lets out a small squeak as I reach in and take him up in my free arm. He sniffs my fingers and then licks my nose, his hips moving frantically in an attempt to wag his missing tail.

"Hey," I say quietly, not wanting to wake my son. "Do you want to come back home with me, little one?"

He lets out a little bark.

"Fortis might not make it back home," I say slowly. "But you will."

* * *

**Tributes kiled in this chapter**

Fortis, Age 18, District 11

**Alliances**

Alliance X- Dmitri, Monroe. Location: The Northern Passage, Level Five

Alliance T- Siggy, Clay. Location: The Southwest Passage, Level Five

Loner- Lindsey. Location: The Eastern Passage, Level Five


	19. What if I Wanted to Break?

**This is it, guys, can you believe it? It's the very end... I just want to thank everyone who has stayed with the story, and especially everyone who submitted tributes to The Kill when it was first opening. I loved them all, I really did. This is the final chapter and I did my best on it, so be sure to review and tell me what you think. The song in this chapter is The Kill by 30 Seconds To Mars. **

**And don't forget, I'll see you all in my next SYOT :)**

**-Rose Hunter**

* * *

**Siggy, Age 12, District 8**

The penetrating silence wraps around me like a veil, and I can't help but find myself lost in it.

_ What if I wanted to break?_

When I was a little boy all I wanted was to be here in the Games. But I'm not naïve, and I know better than that now. Whenever I look at these walls all I see is a prison built to keep me in this hell, far away from the light of the sun. I would give anything to get out of here.

I slide my dagger out of my sleeve and look down at it. It glints in the dim light. I run my fingers over the blade and remember all it has done. This dagger could be the key to this jail cell. It could be all I need to win these Games, and then… then I'll go home and I'll see the sun again.

_Laugh it all off in your face_

"When my dad died on that fishing trip," Clay says quietly. "It was surreal. We couldn't even see the storm clouds or hear the thunder from the land. The boat just came back… and he wasn't there."

I shut my eyes and close my fingers around the hilt of the dagger. It ends today, and if I'm going to survive, then there is something I need to do. I stand up and turn my head to look at Clay, my knife held where he can't see it. He sits a little ways away, his arms rested on his bent knees and his sad eyes looking into mine.

_What would you do?_

"I never saw him again after that," He swallows hard. "They say that one minute he was standing on the deck, when a wave came up and smashed into the boat. It slammed everyone to the ground before retreating back into the ocean. But when it left… it took him with it."

I nod. My stomach ties itself up in knots as I stare at a single pebble resting on the ground. It's jagged with a grey surface, resting upon the floor. It's such a simple thing, but I'm almost transfixed by it. It's just my mind, trying to keep me from what I'm about to do.

And then the pebble moves.

_What if I fell to the floor?_

It's almost nothing at first, like a small tremor that was almost unnoticeable, but that it shakes again, stronger, and I begin to feel the vibrations, sending powerful shudders through my entire body until I have to lean against the wall to keep from falling to the ground.

"What's going on?" I ask Clay, clinging to the rocks.

"I don't know," He calls back.

Then I see it, deeper in the tunnel. The rocks of the floor begin to fall away, crumbling one by one and falling into the tunnels below, thunderous sounds scrapping at my ears.

_Couldn't take this anymore_

"Run!" Clay shouts, and I don't wait up for him. I take off down the tunnels, my sight obscured by the dust that's being propelling into the air by the avalanche of stone. It's a frantic dash in a feral attempt to find safety somehow, somewhere. I can't think and I certainly can't see. Tears stream down my face and the dust stings my eyes as I rush through the tunnels, dragging my fingers along the right wall so I don't run into anything. My skin breaks open on my finger tips and I can feel myself leaving trails of blood along the walls as I run.

_What would you do?_

The dust starts to clear and I begin to regain my sight. Up ahead I can see where the tunnel ends, opening into a huge cavern with a tower metal construct in the center, surrounded by twenty-four circular, metal plates in the stone. The Games are going to end where they began.

I throw myself into the cavern and smash into the stone floor, rocks tearing at my clothes and scrapping my skin. I look back in time to see Clay's hand disappear in the shower of rocks, and I stare at the space it had been moments before. His cannon sounds and I close my eyes.

All goes silent again. Not a single sound can be heard in the world, and I'm all alone. I rise to my feet and take a few steps back, unable to tear my eyes away from the tunnel. The dust begins to clear enough for me to see the broken rocks in the chasm, where the floor used to be.

_Come break me down_

I swallow hard and force myself to turn, heading towards the cornucopia. I'm the first one here, but the others will join me soon.

_Bury me, bury me_

**Dmitri, Age 15, District 7**

"Go, hurry!" I shout, running along behind Monroe and pushing her forward. The rocks collapse just behind our heels and I can feel them begin to fall just as my feet leave them. Panic swells inside me as we race down the tunnels, the air clouding over until I can barely see Monroe's outline in front of me. My breaths are quick and shallow, filled with dust that burns my lungs.

_ I am finished with you_

I see a light ahead, and run faster, my feet pounding against the stones and my arms churning at my sides. We burst into the cavern and skid to a stop, turning around to see the last of the tunnel floor disintegrating. The rest of the tunnels are doing the same, until we're left on an island in a sea of dark rock.

"Hey, pretty boy,"

_ What if I wanted to fight?_

I duck down just in time to miss a hammer swing to my head. I spin around to come face to face with Lindsey, her hair in messy knots, grinning darkly. Her head is tilted down, casting deep shadows over her face as her eyes bore into mine. I step in front of Monroe protectively, pushing her back a few feet. She needs to get out of here; there's no one left in these Games more dangerous than Lindsey.

_ Beg for the rest of my life_

_ What would you do?_

"Well, it's been awhile, hasn't it, sweet cheeks?" Lindsey grins, slowly stalking towards me, her war hammer held at her side. The blood pounds in my ears like a heartbeat and I swallow hard.

_ You say you wanted more_

"Monroe, run," I say, not taking my eyes off of Lindsey.

"But-"

_ What are you waiting for?_

"Run!" I yell. Monroe darts away just as Lindsey charges again, bringing her hammer down towards me. I roll out of the way and unsheathe my sword, deflecting her weapon with my blade every time she brings it towards me, my breathing steady but my muscles trembling with anxiety and effort.

It all happens so quickly… I block Lindsey's strike and all of a sudden my feet are swept out from under me, my sword ripped from my hands. The impact with the ground knocks the breath out of me and blurs my vision, and when it clears up I see her standing over me, my own sword wielded above her head.

_ I'm not running from you_

She brings it downwards and, as if I'm underwater, the world slows down. My eyes grow wide and I take what is sure to be my last breathe as I stare at the tip of the blade that will stab my heart, driving all the life from me and causing my blood to spill out over the stones. But then, in a blur, things change, and the sword goes through the heart of not me, but Monroe, as she dives in between me and the blade.

_ Come break me down_

_ Bury me, bury me_

Lindsey smirks, and she rips the blade free of Monroe's chest, but I ignore her, rushing to my ally's side and placing my hands over the gaping wound in her chest. Blood flows over my fingers and stains my skin as tears roll down my face.

_ I am finished with you_

"Why would you do that?" I whisper, tangling my fingers in her hair and resting my head on her shoulder as a sob escapes my lips.

"Because it was what I wanted," She says, her words barely audible. "Was… was I brave…?"

I lift my head and look her in the eyes. I nod weakly. "Yes… you're brave Monroe. You're brave…" She grins just as the light leaves her eyes, and as she lays there dead on the stones, the fading ghost of her smile still plays across her lifeless face.

_ Look in my eyes_

All I hear behind me is a deafening snap and then the sound of a body smacking against the rock.

I spin around in horror to see Siggy standing over Lindsey, her neck snapped and her dull, empty gaze staring off into the nothingness. His eyes are dark and his features blank as he looks up at me. Our eyes meet and he blinks once, slowly. I stand, reaching for the hilt of my sword and gripping it so tightly that my knuckles turn white. I see a dagger held in Siggy's hand as he bursts into action, rushing towards me.

_ You're killing me, killing me_

**No POV**

The sound of their blades colliding is all that can be heard in the stone-silent caves as Siggy attacks again and again, Dmitri only having time to deflect before another strike is launched. The air temperature drops, and their breath billows in the air in front of their faces while they fight, the sounds of battle echoing through the cavern.

_ All I wanted was you_

"I'm not going to fight you," Dmitri says as his blade meets Siggy's, bringing his foot up into the younger boy's stomach and pushing him backwards.

Siggy stumbles backwards, but regains his balance almost instantly, diving forward and coming dangerously close to stabbing his opponent in the heart. As he lunges again he spits, "And why not? It's obvious that you want to go home just as desperately as I do!"

"I want to go home without regrets."

_ I tried to be someone else_

_ But nothing seemed to change_

Siggy freezes for a moment, if only a moment. "So what are you going to do then?"

Dmitri thinks before replying, "It depends on what you're going to do."

"I'm going home," Siggy hisses, driving his dagger into Dmitri's chest. He slams his eyes shut, unable to look while he pulls his blade free of the older boy's torso. Blood gushes from the wound as Dmitri stumbles backwards, feeling at the gory, torn flesh. He brings his fingers up to his face and looks down at the blood splattered over his skin before crumbling to his knees, his breathing quick and shallow.

_ I know now, this is who I really am inside_

Siggy looks away, his words catching in his throat and hot tears welling in his eyes. He refuses to let them fall. "I'm sorry."

"No," Dmitri coughs, crimson liquid dripping down his chin. "No, it had to be this way…"

_ Finally found myself_

Siggy nods, one hand covering his mouth and the other pressed up against his chest, forcing himself to focus on the beating of his heart and not the guilty pain that is ripping apart his soul.

"Hey," Dmitri says quietly. "Maybe I'll see Eden and Monroe… in Heaven."

"Maybe," Siggy replies, his voice cracking. He can't bring himself to look at Dmitri as he lies dying. The blood spilling over the ground is his doing, and it hurts him as much as it will ever hurt Dmitri.

_ Fighting for a chance_

"You think I'll go to Heaven?"

_I know now, this is who I really am_

"Yeah," Siggy says, watching a tear fall from his face to the ground, darkening the stone. All is silent, and Siggy forces his eyes open as he turns in time to see Dmitri's eyes flutter shut. His cannon reverberates through the tunnels and the sound of cheering is blasted through the arena.

_ What if I, what if I, what if I…_

"Ladies and gentlemen I present the Victor of this year's Hunger Games, Sigmund Appeter!"

_ Bury me, bury me..._

**Victor  
****Siggy, Age 12, District 8**


End file.
